A public consultation is ongoing over plans for a new purpose-built children’s activity centre for York-based charity, The Island.
A dedicated hub is proposed for its 8-acre site off New Lane in Huntington which would allow the charity to help even more children achieve their potential.
The site is owned by The Island, a charity that provides mentoring and support for vulnerable children in the city. The charity is currently based at a facility on Shipton Road but wants to relocate its work to a
fit-for-purpose facility.
The draft proposals have been designed with the involvement of young people including mentees in dedicated workshop sessions.
They are landscape-based with sports facilities, gardening, woodland walks and outdoor play space. There will be a single sympathetically designed building within the site. Flexible space for activities and outdoor recreational space will allow The Island to offer a wide range of activities to help young people learn and grow.
The vast majority of the site will be kept as landscaped space with an outdoor gym, parkland, meadows, sensory garden and growing areas for the children to enjoy. The new building will feature facilities such as a café, recording studio as well as therapy, tutoring and health advisory rooms.
The award-winning architect Vincent & Brown, along with Re-form Landscape Architects, have designed the facility following a series of workshops with young children who helped to develop the plans to ensure that the proposals can offer as many benefits as possible for future generations. York-based O’Neill Associates are acting as planning consultants and Aspect4 as Project Manager and Cost Consultants.
A public exhibition took place in February at the site and people can still view and comment on the plans at: www.theislandyork.org/consultation.
The Island, formed in 2007, has supported over 3,000 young people in York and includes support for young children to adulthood. This work has however been constrained by the lack of space and resources, outside recreational space and income-generating opportunities, so a new dedicated facility will allow the charity to increase its support for vulnerable young people.
The Island hope to work with other local charities and community groups to make the best use of the new facilities.
Nigel Poulton MBE, CEO of The Island said, “We have been greatly encouraged by the feedback over our exciting plans for a dedicated facility at New Lane. A purpose-built children’s activity centre would help us in our aim to provide a safe, inspirational environment for children, young people and those who support them, ensuring that no young person is left behind.”
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