Support for Warrington Youth Zone continues to grow with the Assura Community Fund joining as its latest Founder Patron.
The Community Fund aims to support local health projects in the communities around Assura’s primary care buildings across the UK. It builds on the company’s Healthy Communities Scheme and is designed to support health-improving work by charities and local groups in the areas.
When Warrington Youth Zone opens, it will supply young people aged 7-19, and up to 25 for those with additional needs, over 20 activities every night, helping to keep them healthy and active. Young people will pay £5 per year to be a member and then just 50p every time they visit.
The £6.9 million facility is being delivered by OnSide Youth Zones, a national charity which has created a network of Youth Zones across the country, providing local young people with somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to.
Local businesses, such as Assura, and philanthropists will become the Youth Zone’s Founder Patrons, contributing to its annual running costs.
Set to be built in the stadium quarter next to the University Technical College (UTC), the state-of-the-art Youth Zone will offer thousands of young people from Warrington access to an indoor climbing wall, 3G kick pitch, four court sports hall, dance and drama studio, training kitchen, arts and crafts space, fully equipped gym, music room with recording studio, enterprise suite and much more.
Based in Warrington, Assura is a specialist real estate investment trust working only on healthcare premises. Its 570+ GP surgery, primary care, diagnostic and treatment centre buildings around the country serve millions of patients and make space for other community services too.
Assura’s CEO, Jonathan Murphy, said: “The new Youth Zone is a project we’re particularly passionate about because it’s not only about connecting young people in our area with the fun, skills, support and opportunities they need to live healthy lives, but it’s also a project about the role of truly amazing architecture, design and inspiring spaces in creating health and wellbeing, which is what drives our work for the NHS. We’re so proud to be one of its Founder Patrons and look forward to working with everyone involved.”
Dave McNicholl, Chief Executive of Warrington Youth Zone said: “We are delighted to welcome the Assura Community Fund into our ever-growing Founder Patron family. Assura has done amazing work over the years in helping the communities it works in and with the company being based in Warrington, it is a great show of support for the town’s young people.”
