Three projects aimed at improving life for young people in Ribble Valley will go ahead after I awarded them a share of my £50,000 MP Fund.
I’ve chosen projects that focused on giving young people their own spaces, which, in turn, will have a positive impact on the three communities.
Bamber Bridge Leisure Centre is awarded £20,000 to establish a dedicated youth space that will give young people a place to meet their friends with spaces for music, art and creativity, sports and gaming.
Longridge Youth Centre will receive £15,000 to deliver weekly Safe Space sessions for young people and use its youth information bus to offer sessions within the community.
Another £15,000 has been awarded to Friends of Conway Park to build a play area for 12-16-year-olds, giving them space to exercise with their friends.
All three communities had previously reported antisocial behaviour, from children’s play equipment set on fire at Conway Park to windows being smashed at Bamber Bridge, forcing the temporary closure of the leisure centre while the damage was repaired.
I was awarded the funding, which comes from the proceeds of crime, by Clive Grunshaw, the county’s Police and Crime Commissioner, to spend on initiatives that address crime and safety concerns in the constituency.
I’m really pleased to be able to work with Lancashire MPs to fund community projects such as these. They are great examples of the kind of grassroots initiatives that make a genuine difference across the county, aiming to deter crime, provide positive outlets and strong community role models, as well as opportunities for young people.
Prevention is at the heart of my Police and Crime Plan. By stopping crime and anti-social behaviour before it happens, we can support stronger enforcement where needed.
I’m passionate about providing spaces and facilities for children and young people. I was a young person growing up in Ribble Valley, myself, and I know how important it was for me to have places I could go to meet my friends that didn’t involve driving out of the area.
These three projects stood out to me because they came from communities trying to make a difference when faced with crime and antisocial behaviour. It’s so easy to blame young people when we get problems with antisocial behaviour, so I think it’s great that these projects aim to really get to the root of that, giving them somewhere to gather and activities to get involved in.
Bamber Bridge has one of the highest levels of antisocial behaviour in South Ribble and we’ve been fighting for a youth space for two years, so it’s fantastic that there’s light at the end of the tunnel thanks to Maya and the fund.
There are young people out there who will really benefit from this facility and we’re going to bring them in as the work begins so they can help make it their own. This £20,000 will go a long way to refurbishing the centre and enabling us to open three nights a week at first, so we’re really thankful.
Bamber Bridge Leisure Centre - £20,000
South Ribble Borough Council and Inspire Youth Zone carried out extensive consultation with young people in Bamber Bridge and found a need for two things - social and chill-out areas and creative spaces for expression. The project addressing these needs will use an existing space at Bamber Bridge Leisure Centre to create a bespoke youth venue, shaped by the young people using it. The cash will be spent on kitting out the space with equipment and refurbishing the space, making it somewhere young people want to be. Organisers will be working with local young people to ensure they have a say on what's included, but initial suggestions included spaces for music, art and creativity, sports and gaming.
Friends of Conway Park, Fulwood - £15,000
The current children’s play area at Conway Park is not fully inclusive. Most of the play equipment is geared towards younger children, with little provision for older children in the 12-16 years age group. Friends of Conway park’s project, which they’ve named ‘The Final Stretch’, stood out to me as being something that would make a huge difference to the community. It will provide a separate place to meet and exercise. There’s going to be a large rotating swing, a climbing slope and winding tubes – all giving tweens and teens a chance to exercise and hang out. I know there are plans to build on this in the future too, with other equipment – this is the starting point from a group that works hard to make sure the community has this really nice asset.
Longridge Youth Centre - £15,000
The £15,000 I'm awarding to Longridge Youth Centre will be used to deliver a Safe Space session on Friday evenings from Longridge Family Hub. This will provide a safe environment for young people to attend and socialise with others and youth workers will be around to offer support and advice to anyone who drops in. There'll also be sessions on any issues to benefit those attending, from mental health discussions to talks about personal safety and drug misuse. I was also impressed that this project has a plan for those who can't get to the centre too. A youth information bus can be driven around and parked up in areas where young people congregate to deliver services in different areas.
