A new fantastic Youth Zone is heading to Tilbury thanks to funding from the Tilbury Towns Fund which will allow the experts at OnSide; a national youth charity that champions youth work, to build a state-of-the-art youth centre and engage with young people living in in the area, to help them grow and develop.
The new space will create a hub for local young people to make new friends, learn new things and discover just how much they have to offer. It will be one of a growing network of Youth Zones that OnSide have set up across the country.
Youth Zones boast incredible facilities that give young people year-round access to high quality sports, arts and leisure facilities, as well as dedicated youth work support from its staff and volunteers. Youth Zones are a place where those aged between eight and 19 - and up to 25 for those with additional needs - can meet, socialise and enjoy themselves, all at the same time as discovering what they can achieve and gaining the skills and confidence to pursue their ambitions.
One of the many people working behind the scenes to create the new hub is Elizabeth Leke, who grew up in Tilbury and attended the Gateway Secondary Academy in Marshfoot Road, Tilbury. Now aged 26, she first started working at OnSide not long after leaving university.
She had a chance to meet her former Head Teacher, Kevin Sadler, who is also the chair of the Tilbury Towns Fund Board, to discuss the exciting plans and share how her experiences of growing-up in Tilbury will help her and the team as they drive forward exciting plans for the Youth Zone.
Elizabeth is leading work on forming the Young People’s Development Group, which brings together a group of local young people to help shape the creation of the new Youth Zone and advocate on its behalf. She said: “I love what I do. I work with young people in Thurrock to get their voice on the vibes that they want in the building and from the Youth Zone. They will help to set the ethos that guides its development.
“We will take them to visit other Youth Zones, to see what they think will work and what we should also be doing here in Tilbury.
“They will also get special training in public speaking so they can advocate on behalf of the Thurrock Youth Zone and speak with people and organisations that might be interested in supporting it. It is a great opportunity for them, but also a great way to make sure we create a Youth Zone that meets the needs of the young people that will be using it.”
Youth Zones are purpose-built centres which have all the facilities that young people need to engage with sports, arts and leisure and learn skills that will stand them in good stead throughout their lives.
Former Headteacher Mr Sadler can see exactly the role that the new Youth Zone will play in the lives of young people in Tilbury. He said: “The Gateway learning Academy school has been on a long journey of improvement to reach where it is today and now it is getting the best results it has ever had, but we've always known that there was a gap in provision, which was what happens when schools closed.
“Thurrock Youth Zone will be a safe place where young people can make new friends, gain confidence and explore their interests 52 weeks a year.”
Having grown-up in Tilbury Elizabeth can see exactly the role it will play in young people’s lives. “It would have been a place where I would have gone to socialise, meet new people, which is what the Youth Zones do now” she said.
“It will be a great space for young people to be heard, seen and to meet other young people who are just like them and share their experiences.
“A typical Youth Zone could have kitchens, a sports hall, studio and recording facilities, gym and fitness facilities and places to relax and play pool or table tennis. In other Youth Zones, for example the one I currently work at, we even have a gaming zone where young people can meet and play video games with each other.
“I am really looking forward to working with the young people that will become our ambassadors and making sure that they help to create a Youth Zone that will work for the young people of Thurrock.
“I know it is something I would have gone to if it was here, and knowing that helps drive me to make sure that it will be the best facility it can be.”
