Community Buildings Advice
Much of the thrust of the Labour Government’s youth and community strategy (Aiming High: Youth Matters) was towards encouraging local authorities to hand over community assets like youth centres to local organisations.
In particular this was the conclusion of the Quirk Report on “Making Assets Work”.
Surrey CC has recently transferred two youth centres in Banstead and Bookham into the voluntary sector . The County Council’s Youth Development Service is currently developing its property strategy, and it makes sense if this is done in conjunction with the property assets held by the VCFS in Surrey. The County Council’s youth centre building strategy is due for publication in the near future.
It should be kept in mind that organisations like St John Ambulance, which has 25 buildings in Surrey and the churches, do have many buildings in Surrey that could, by arrangement, be used by others for youth activities (see Member entry, and the Resources Directory). A contact for St John Ambulance is: stuart.green@surrey.sja.org.uk
MYplace
In May 2008 the Labour Government (DCSF) announced significant funding for "world class" youth centres, called MYplace, with fast track bids due in by June, and standard bids due for submission by September 2008. The funding lasted until 2010-11 and was managed on behalf of the DCSF by the Big Lottery. Some £25 mill was allocated in the South – East, but none to Surrey.
