PLANS for a new purpose-built community youth hub in the Lagmore area have been launched by the Lagmore Youth Project.
The hub, which is set to be built next to the existing 3G pitches at Lagmore View and White Rise, is set to be the first of its kind in the area with the youth project currently working from a marquee in the grounds of Christ the Redeemer Church.
Discussing the plans, Colm Fanning from the Lagmore Youth Project, said that it is about providing a purpose built venue that will last for the next 30 years.
“Lagmore has one of the biggest youth populations definitely in Belfast but also across the North and yet for 30 years we haven’t had the infrastructure to be able to meet the need of the young people,” he said.
“As we continue to grow and more and more young people want to use our services, our management team at the Lagmore Youth Project decided that we needed to try and facilitate that through facilities which will match that growing need for youth work and youth delivery.”
PLANS: The proposal includes a new purpose built youth hub and café
The current plans are estimated to cost around £3.5 million and are designed for a “post-Covid” environment.
“We are trying to utilise the space as much outside as we are inside,” Colm continued.
“Currently Lagmore has great facilities through Belfast City Council in the football pitches at White Rise. We are looking to utilise that space by building our centre on the edge of those.
“Within the centre, all of the facilities that we are looking to provide will have direct access to the outdoors.
“We are also looking to include some social enterprise by including some community infrastructure in terms of a café or somewhere for parents to come while their children are playing in the playground.”
The current design for the ground floor is planned around a ‘drop-in’ for youth provision with open space including gaming areas, climbing infrastructure and changing facilities for the football pitches which will be open to all groups using the Council facilities at White Rise.
The second floor of the plans will allow the Lagmore Youth Project to deliver training and conference facilities including an ICT suite and an area dedicated to counselling services.
“We are ambitious and we have ambitious designs but we have been ambitious from the start of Lagmore Youth Project,” Colm added.
“This facility is just the start of that and we have been working with Belfast City Council, our architects at Toal and McGeough have been phenomenal with the delivery of this design.
“We are now working with the Department of Education, The Executive Office and the Department for Communities to secure the funding for its delivery.
“It will be the main centre for Lagmore going forward. We have two community centres at the moment but these plans are geared towards our young people so that we can give them somewhere to call their own.”
EXISTING SITE: The proposed hub will be located at the current 3G pitches on Lagmore View
Local Councillor Danny Baker, who volunteers with the project, said that youth delivery was one of the main driving forces for him entering elective politics.
“I could see massive need in Lagmore in particular which was evident with the old MUGA pitches which weren’t utilised,” he said.
“When we talked to our young people, they didn’t feel part of the community and it was them who asked for the investment with the pitches. From that we could see an improvement in the whole community as a result of the 3G pitches."
Cllr Baker added that with the Lagmore Youth Project and proper community programmes ongoing over the last number of years he has seen the community grow along with the confidence of young people in the area.
“There are over 200 young people involved in our programmes and we have over 100 young people on a waiting list. If we had a purpose built building then we would be able to facilitate all of the kids in Lagmore,” he continued.
“We have our Friday night drop-in with the football which only started a few weeks ago and last week we had over 50 young ones drop in. Most of those aren’t signed up to the project and this shows the need and demand for these facilities within the community.
“This is how we give young people a future and this is how we save lives by investing in them and investing in facilities which has to be our priority throughout the Colin area.”
