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With a winter opening being eyed for the new building located opposite Preston’s Bus Station we went for a look round.
Vault is set to provide facilities for children and young people in and around Preston.
Costing just 50p per entry, or five pounds per year for young people, the space includes a gym, music room, gaming zone, café, and five-a-side football pitch.
Read more: Preston Youth Zone ‘Vault’ update given one year since giant spade marked building work starting
Inside, there will also be educational rooms with food preparation facilities for students to learn how to cook basic meals and practice essential skills for their futures.
The performing arts room will additionally double as a conference space for businesses to hire out for their use.
A personal favourite amongst staff was the climbing wall to encourage children to learn and try new skills and face their fears.
Lee Williamson, a project manager of Onside, the charity behind Preston’s Youth Zone, said: “In my opinion, the most important room is the health and wellbeing room, where the youth will open up and most of the youth work will take place.”
The space, including a nail bar, hair dressing and washing facilities, will provide a comfortable space for the young people and encourage them to speak to the youth workers, just like being in a nail or hair salon.
With their date of opening yet to be confirmed, Blog Preston understands that Vault will open late 2025 or early 2026, starting with a “soft launch.”
They are currently looking for both local businesses and individuals to contribute to the support of Vault.
When talking about the personal gain from participating in this project, Victor, the senior club coordinator, said: “You learn more about yourself and the community.
“Everyone has some form of knowledge that we can pass on to the next generation, and it could be from previous jobs.”
He added: “As I used to work in finance, I could pass my knowledge and receive knowledge from someone interested in budgeting.
“We always question, how do we change things in the community, but small steps are a start.”
The space will not only provide a sensory room for children with additional needs, but it will also include a weekly inclusion session on Sundays with supportive staff so they can use all the facilities in a quieter environment.
Preston-born Hollie, aged 17, mentioned the importance of the space to the community.
She said: “This space is very much needed in Preston. I know with the number of people who meet up in the bus station and stay around town, it will be nice for them to be a part of somewhere and have a safe space to go to.”
A Youth Zone for the city has been a long time coming with proposals dating back to 2013, Vault will not only provide activities for the youth, but also provide employment for people wishing to get involved.
They are currently seeking partnerships with organisations, with a current focus on the performing arts sector.
Ryan Whittaker, the partnership coordinator, mentioned a partnership night Vault is looking to host following its success three weeks ago.
He said: “We had a response from the night from over 100 individuals at the centre wanting to contribute to the new project.”
If you are a business or organisation looking to get involved, you can contact Ryan.Whittaker@Vault.com or visit Vault’s website here.
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