Published: Friday 23 July 2021
A new Urban Youth Room is being supported after a successful proposal by the Youth Council in Kensington and Chelsea, as part of the High Streets for All Challenge. The Challenge is an initiative announced by the Mayor of London this week which invites local partnerships to bring forward and co-design innovative high street recovery strategies and proposals.
The submission by the Youth Council is to create a permanent space on a high street, currently focused on the Notting Hill Gate area, that would provide a hub central to the community for young people to use and have ownership over, providing multiple uses. This could be for arts exhibitions or performances, working or learning spaces, classes, social clubs and more. The space will be developed as part of a wider strategy for the high street, acting as a case study for a successful initiative.
Cllr Catherine Faulks, Lead Member for Economy, Employment and Innovation, said:
“We are excited that the Youth Council have been successful in their imaginative proposal for a new Urban Youth Room and to be taking part in the High Streets for All Challenge. It’s a priority for us to maintain and improve our high streets to make sure they are fit for purpose now and in the future.
“Along with being an opportunity for better community engagement with residents and businesses, the Urban Room will be somewhere that young people can call their own."
Alexander Grob from the Youth Council in Kensington and Chelsea said:
“Following these tough times, l believe that the High Streets for All project will not only be extremely important for young people in the borough to develop themselves, socialise and explore new experiences but will also benefit local businesses by attracting young people to areas they may not have previously been inclined to visit.”
The first part of the Challenge currently underway is to identify and develop partnerships, engage locally, and co-design the brief for the space as part of their high street strategy. Selecting a location in Notting Hill Gate for the Urban Youth Room is the next key step as part of the Challenge. Kensington and Chelsea Council will be working alongside the Youth Council to support them throughout the process.
The space and its usage will ultimately be managed and led by the Youth Council and affiliated Youth Representatives once the Challenge is complete.
As part of its Covid recovery and longer-term growth, a number of other high street improvement projects are being facilitated by the Council including community engagement workshops to discuss future improvements.
Watch out for more updates on the Urban Youth Room as it develops and a location is confirmed.