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Our History
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The 1990s
In 1994, there was general acknowledgement amongst the community
in Cheltenham that social facilities for teenagers in the town, and particularly in the suburbs, were sadly lacking and that increasing
numbers of young people were on the streets in the evening
hours with nothing to do.
Following a small grant of just £600 from the local authorities, Gloucestershire County Council's Youth and Community Office
in Cheltenham (helped and supported by Cheltenham Borough
Council, local Parish Councils, Safeways and the
Gloucestershire Crime Reduction Unit), obtained an old double
decker bus and fitted it out with some basic equipment including a
Hi-Fi system, a computer (an Amiga!), games and a refreshments
kitchen, together with an information service by youth workers concerning various topics such as jobs, drugs, sex, health, activities etc.
In 1997, with the demise of the double-decker bus, it quickly became clear that more needed to be done to provide additional facilities for young people in the area.
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In early 1999, Councillor Anne Regan contacted Greater Manchester Police who had been using portacabins as temporary centres for young people. Quickly thereafter, a dedicated group of local people (the South Cheltenham Youth Project) were able to obtain and deploy a portacabin (essentially a steel cargo container affectionately known as 'The Pod') for use as a youth facility on the Brizen Recreation Field in South Cheltenham.
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This was achieved by generous sponsorship by Marks and Spencer and also by The Langtree Trust and Spirax Sarco who generously donated funds.
In 2006, there was serious anti-social behaviour by young people in the Up Hatherley and Warden Hill areas and there was a public meeting because of the high number of complaints from residents. This resulted in two Dispersal Orders being issued.
In April 2007, a working group - The South Cheltenham Youth
Project Action Group - was formulated under the Chairmanship
of Councillor Rob Garnham. The working group comprised
representatives from the Gloucestershire Youth Service,
Gloucestershire Police, Cheltenham Borough Council and
Councillors and Leckhampton with Warden Hill Parish Council
and Councillors, under the remit of the Community Safety
Partnership.
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A survey was held through BBQ evenings during the summer of
2007, asking the views of local young people. A large percentage
expressed the view that a dedicated meeting place for young people was essential.
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This resulted in the proposal for the building of a permanent extension to the existing pavilion at Brizen Recreation Field, for use by young people.
The 2000s
Brizen Young People's Centre opened in 2009 with a small group of volunteers acting as a Management Committee. Weekly youth clubs were run by Gloucestershire Youth Service until they were sadly disbanded in 2011. Since then, hall hire, fundraising and local grants have allowed our vital youth work to continue, even through the pandemic.
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The Management Committee successfully obtained Charitable Status in September 2011 and have operated as a Board of Trustees ever since. We continue to work tirelessly to serve young people in the area and fulfil our charitable objectives.
Three very popular youth clubs currently run at the Centre, for young people aged 8 - 18, with youth workers from Springbank Community Group CiC as well as a free summer holidays project, established in 2021.
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The Centre is also available to hire and is ideal for children's parties, performing arts classes, keep fit classes, toddler groups and business seminars. It is suitable for events of up to 50 people and has a fully fitted kitchen, full disabled access and toilet facilities and free on-site parking. Hire income goes towards funding the youth work at the Centre.
