Firm offers lifeline to support services at Wigan Youth Zone

The service allows young people to achieve their potential, be more confident and resilient and have a strong support network to help them make positive changes to their lives.

When the pandemic broke, there was a serious risk it might cease because there was nowhere for Wigan Council to work with the young people, due to the vulnerability of the service users.

The Youth Zone provided a lifeline by letting the council use its building to continue their work.

Over the past year the partnership between the Youth Zone and the targeted youth support services team has gone from strength to strength and therefore when the council were notified that they could not continue running a service from other sites on a long-term basis,

The youth zone contacted Greenmount Projects to see if they could provide any support to create a more permanent base for the service to continue in the grounds of the Youth Zone.

Which is where the £5,000, 40ft long container comes in.

Both Wigan Youth Zone and Wigan Council were thrilled therefore when Mike Sharkey, MD of Greenmount Projects, generously donated the cabin which will be transformed into a workshop with fitted benches and storage for tools, all in aid to engage with challenging and hard-to-reach young people.

Young people with challenging behaviours will undertake practical restorative activities such as building bird boxes and refurbishing community benches that will directly benefit the local community.

Mr Sharkey said: “We as a company are always happy to engage with the youth zone and will continue to do so, as it serves the borough of Wigan and Leigh with fantastic facilities and staff who are committed to giving our young people life choices and guidance.

“These people will hopefully be our future generation of community leaders to keep our local culture and wellbeing at the heart of all they do.

“Massive applause to an amazing community hub.”

Coun Jenny Bullen, cabinet member for children and families, said: “Thank you so much to Mike Sharkey at Greenmount for their kind donation.

It will provide a valuable space, and will mean that our targeted youth support services will be able to work with even more children and young people, including those who have been involved in anti-social and offending behaviour.

“The portable cabin will be used as a workshop room, where children and young people will develop new practical skills, such as building garden planters.

“These items may then be used as part of our carefully managed restorative justice process, to benefit people who have been victims of crime and local communities.

“The new workshop space will be an important asset for both children and young people and everyone who lives in Wigan borough.”

Wigan Youth Zone relies on donations and support from business investments along with kind donations from the local community.

Every donation goes towards helping young people of Wigan and Leigh to discover a world of possibilities and create the future they deserve.

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