A group which provides free activities connected with citizenship and avoiding anti-social behaviour for youngsters has been awarded nearly £190,000 through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Colne Youth Action Group (CYAG), based on Byron Road, Colne, has been awarded a total of £189,764 across three years by the fund, which aims to address social isolation, promote community cohesion, and enable better access to services and employment.
CYAG is in the process of bringing its neglected 1960s building up to 21s century standards.
The lighting and heating have already been overhauled with modern, low-energy replacements, the roof has been repaired and the gutters restored, and vibrant, new signage has been erected.
Next on the list of tasks for CYAG is the removal of internal partitions which form redundant offices, the erection of a solar array on the roof to defray running costs, and a professional kitchen.
CYAG chairman of trustees, Sarah Cockburn-Price, said: “This amount of funding is a gamechanger for CYAG in terms of the work we can carry out on our building and in terms of professional staff we can now hire to work alongside our volunteers.
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“The result will be huge for the support of young people in the Colne community. The application process was mammoth, and I am grateful to my husband for dealing with the myriad of forms and also grateful to Pendle Council for administering the fund locally.”
Cllr Asjad Mahmood, leader of Pendle Council, said: “I am delighted Colne Youth Action Group has been awarded funding from the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund over the next three years.
“The group makes a huge difference to the town by working with young people and providing them with a safe space and a variety of fantastic activities to get involved in.”
The charity was set up after the first Covid lockdown to tackle an increase in youth anti-social behaviour and give access to fun activities led by inspiring adults.
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It has become a cornerstone of youth provision in the Colne area, running a range of well-attended weekly activities across the town and its villages.
These include: drama, cricket, football, woodland oasis, kayaking, pizza making, holiday clubs, and a traditional youth club in Trawden.
In addition, CYAG, which is supported annually by the Colne BID, completes regular evening walkarounds with youth work duo Stacey Faulkner and Karen Howarth, talking to young people and businesses around the town.
Andrew Stephenson MP added: “One of the government’s central missions is to level up parts of the country that have felt left behind. I am delighted that CYAG has secured this money from the new £2.6bn UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
“The money will be transformational for young people in Colne, who are also benefitting from Levelling Up investment in the town’s three theatres.”
CYAG is open to all young people aged 10-16 living in Colne Trawden, Foulridge and Laneshawbridge, or attend school there.
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