Despite our successes, The Island is currently unable to respond fully to the needs of young people accessing our services. This is due in part to our current location, which is not the long-term, multi-use base that we aspire to. We are currently based at a temporary facility on Shipton Road, which has been kindly donated to us before the facility is developed. This is only a short-term solution to our needs and we want to be able to offer opportunities to more children and wider range of activities, at a time of ever increasing children being referred to the Island. We want to grow and expand. 

This restriction of our current space prevents us from evolving and innovating in response to this need as we would wish to. We are unable to fundraise for capital expenditure costs to improve our current home, which has resulted in insufficient facilities and space for activities to engage our young people. Other critical factors include a lack of resources, outside recreational space, income generating opportunities.

After exploring a number of commercial properties on long-term leases, we have now acquired an ideal site to create a magnificent children’s hub to offer enormous benefits to the City of York. The land we have found on New Lane in Huntington can create our vision for the ultimate space for young people.

Our proposition is an ambitious, all-encompassing youth centre that offers support to every young person in the city. Our vision for the 8-acre plot off New Lane is to build a state of-the-art space that will provide the nucleus for youth mentoring provision across York – enabling The Island and its many partners to engage, support, and raise the aspirations of young people and future generations. The model will begin with early intervention and include support through transitions to adulthood and into a meaningful future life.

The new children’s hub will transform the care and benefits that we can offer children throughout York. Facilities being explored include: 

Arts & Craft Space

Dance / Performance Space

Multi-sensory Room

Music Room & Recording Studio

Sports Hall

All weather Sports zones

Horticulture area

Bushcraft skills

Virtual Reality/ Games Area

Beauty & Hairdressing Salon

Youth Gym

Workshop / Repair Space

Plumbing & Electrician workshop

We will prepare young people to not only survive but thrive in our city. Working with employers and education providers, we will enable young people to complete their education and enter employment, giving them the skills and confidence to realise their potential.

There are hundreds of staff working in organisations, authorities and services across the city who are crying out for this provision. Whilst providing a base for The Island, we envisage this being a multi-agency, multi-faceted space that provides a home, amenity and resource for an organisation in the city that cares about its future. From frontline delivery services and educational establishments, to businesses and not for profits – the whole city will be a stakeholder in this project.