History
Warrington Youth Zone will build upon the success, values and legacy of Warrington Youth Club.
Beginning its life as Warrington Boys Club, we have supported young people for almost a century.
In 1930 a group of parents were concerned that their sons were getting into trouble after school, and set up a small club for their sons and friends to keep them entertained following the school day.
This group developed into Warrington Boys Club and in 1935 the group was formally established as part of the Boys Club network. We have a copy of the first annual report of the organisation in 1935.
Following use of various centres around Warrington the group moved to their new home on Rodney Street, on the current site of Wickes off Winwick Road. In 1950 Princess Margaret officially opened the new building the same year. We still have the original plaque which was unveiled as part of the opening ceremony.
Over the following 50 years Warrington Boys Club welcomed generations of young people from across the town, many of whom have regaled their memories of the various activities and competitions they enjoyed during their time at the Club.
As the millennium approached the building which housed Warrington Boys Club was becoming dated and costing a lot to maintain. Towards the late 1990’s the Board of Trustees built a partnership with the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace and the NSPCC and as the Peace Centre was opened in 2000, the Club moved into the Peace Centre.
In 2003 the club changed its constituted name to Warrington Youth Club and registered with the Charity Commission. The organisation and the children and young people who are members have benefited from the incredible facilities at the Peace Centre over the past 20 years and continue to do so as the centre is the home of Warrington Youth Club.
In 2009 Warrington Youth Club started discussions with OnSide, Warrington Borough Council and other partners to develop a Youth Zone in the town. After a long journey including very nearly purchasing the disused Night Club ‘Mr Smiths’, prior to it being burnt to the ground, we were thrilled to have received planning consent for Warrington Youth Zone. The site for the development is on Dallam Lane, next to the University Technical College, it is also very close to Rodney Street where the organisation started almost 70 years ago.
