Southmead Youth Centre Up-date

13/03/2021

You will have heard that there are changes on the horizon at Arnside and may know that we have been renting the Southmead Youth Centre building from Bristol City Council since 2014.  We are dedicated to ensuring that sessions for young people in Southmead continue.  Please read our latest update and do get in touch with us about future youth sessions, or with Bristol City Council for any information regarding changes to the Library or Youth Centre buildings.

What’s happened and where we are now:

  • Southmead Development Trust have been tenants of The Southmead Youth Centre since 2014. It is owned by Bristol City Council.
  • As part of wider regeneration plans, Bristol City Council is selling some of its land to Aldi. We understand that the store was under threat of closing if it could not expand. The area to be sold includes the Southmead Library and the Southmead Youth Centre site.
  • Southmead Development Trust is working hard with Bristol City Council to ensure that alternative arrangements for youth sessions are guaranteed and there is re-investment in new community space in Southmead.

What happens next:

Alternative arrangements for youth sessions and re-investment in community space will be finalised before the youth centre is relinquished. These are the arrangements we are finalising with Bristol City Council.

  • Bristol City Council is keen to support the delivery of a new community enterprise space in the new development on Glencoyne Square to be built by Southmead Development Trust, and has provisionally agreed to fund 184 sqm of community space alongside a new library and health centre. This space will be run by the community, for the community and will be built with the new homes in two to three years.
  • Bristol City Council also provisionally agreed a capital grant of £150,000 to invest in alternative youth and play space in Southmead. It is likely to cost more than this and Southmead Development Trust are committed to fundraising to meet the gap.
  • This grant and money raised will pay for alternative space for youth and play at The Ranch in Southmead and we will be involving young people and the community in what this looks like.
  • Southmead Development Trust is working with existing sub-tenants of the youth centre, doing our best to find solutions to help them to relocate in Southmead.
  • It will be approximately 10 months before we have to vacate the youth centre building.
  • Bristol City Council built the memorial garden on the Youth Centre site. Bristol City Council will work with local partners to find solutions to re-provide a memorial in a sensitive manner, with input from residents and young people.  Southmead Development Trust wants to support finding solutions.

We need your help!

  • Over the next few months we’ll be talking to young people and residents to decide the best ways to re-provide youth work, we need you to get involved and share your ideas.
  • We will be hosting a number of pop up sessions, in person and online, after the Easter holidays.
  • If you would like to get involved, keep a look out for dates on this page, the Greenway Centre Facebook page or the Southmead Adventure Playground Facebook page. You can also get in touch with our Youth Team by emailing Youth and Play Team Leader James Creed – email: jamescreed@southmead.org

To get in touch with Bristol City Council about their decision please email Matt Brown: Matthew.Brown2@bristol.gov.uk