National children’s charity, 4Children, today welcomed the next generation Myplace centres as iconic, inspirational and a blueprint for the types of facilities that could be developed with young people in every area across the country.

Beverley Hughes, Minister for Children and Young People today announced the 41 successful Myplace projects to be awarded funding at a youth-led launch event at Hoxton Hall, Hackney. Successful Myplace projects will provide a great place for young people to go at times to suit them, especially Friday and Saturday nights, and should focus on reaching the most disadvantaged communities.

Anne Longfield OBE, Chief Executive of 4Children said: “The Myplace schemes show just what can be achieved when you involve young people and harness their imagination and creativity. The inspiring array of projects announced today rocket the notion of what a youth centre should be to a whole new level. With a truly awesome range of developments from creative arts to extreme sports backed up with help and support on some of the more sensitive health and emotional issues, these centres truly respond to what young people say they need.”

4Children Young Reporter, Meadbh Dempsey, 16, Lewisham, South London said:  “Hoxton Hall is a brilliant place for young people. It has a real buzz about it and great things going on. But there are still too many areas like mine in South London that have nothing like this. We need more help and support to get places like this all over the country. Young people have fantastic ideas but we need the chance to make them heard.”

The national children’s charity has long been campaigning for investment in new facilities and hailed centre programme, Myplace, as welcome recognition that much negative behaviour can be avoided if young people have positive and relevant places to go. The charity’s 2007 Make Space consultation of 16,000 young people found that having more safe and exciting places to go was a top concern for today’s teenagers with 80% of teenagers saying that a lack of facilities led to boredom and bad behaviour.

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Editor’s Notes

To arrange an interview with a 4Children spokesperson, please contact Julie Watkins on 0207 522 6928 / 0791787064 or email Julie.watkins@4Children.org.uk

• The Myplace investment is the first to be released as part of a transformative 10 Year Government Strategy to create things to do and places to go for teenagers, providing a response to concerns in many local areas about rises in youth crime and family change that has resulted in many teenagers lacking safe spaces to socialise and receive support after school.

• Myplace is being launched in Leeds which is seeing one of the first Myplace centres being developed. THE BIG HUB has been designed by young people and will be run by a partnership of 4Children, Leeds City Council and Leeds PCT. THE BIG HUB will feature state of the art access to sports, music and the arts, health advice and other specialist youth support services and information.

Anne Longfield OBE, Chief Executive of 4Children said: “The BIG HUB sets new sights for what a centre for young people should be with a breathtaking array of activities and support – designed by young people themselves. In the most disadvantaged areas of the country young people now have the prospect of getting involved in music, sports and the specialist support they need in this fantastic venue.”

4Children
4Children is the national charity dedicated to creating opportunities and building futures for all children. It aspires to ensure that all children, young people and families have access to a creative, safe and child focused environment, and activities. 4Children provides an information line for parents and childcare professionals with advice and support on all aspects of childcare, including details of out of school clubs in your area. For more information see: www.4Children.org.uk

• Throughout 2007 4Children brought together a coalition of 16,000 young people, teachers, parents and youth workers calling for urgent investment by Government in facilities for teenagers in communities, releasing a major report to the Prime Minister Gordon Brown that demanded new funding for positive activities and youth support services.

• Citing escalating costs in policing, health support and benefits associated with under-supported young people, the 4Children Youth Review report -launched by youth icon Lily Allen and campaigner Oona King - urged that the Government invest in modern, attractive youth facilities and spaces that can nurture, inspire and support teenagers - creating major change and freeing the potential of young people, whilst decreasing instances of anti social behaviour and reducing remedial costs to communities.

4Children’s Make Space Youth Review of 16,000 teenagers concluded that:
• 60% of young people were fearful for their own safety.

• 80% of young people said they had nowhere to go and nothing to do outside school and hung around the streets bored as a result.

• 70% of teenagers said they believed that young people got involved in anti-social behaviour because they were bored.

• Over 70% of 11-16 year olds said that they had witnessed anti-social behaviour over the last year, whilst 12% of young people belong to a gang.

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