Toxteth Youth Group celebrates £3.5 million grant to develop sports and education complex

Members of Tiber Young People’s Steering Group (TYPSG) – who are working to develop the former Tiber Street Primary School site in Toxteth – are celebrating a £3,578,949 Youth Investment Fund grant to complete another phase of their ongoing plans.

The TYPSG is working to develop the site into a community arts, sports and education complex on Lodge Lane, in the heart of Toxteth. The group is made up of young people between the ages of 14-18 years old, on a rolling programme of members, and they make all the key decision about the development of the four acre Tiber site.

Tiber aims to coach the young members in entrepreneurial skills and work on real life projects that enhance their local environment, becoming positive role models within and outside their community.

Chair of TYPSG, Sha’Rae Riley, who is a student at City of Liverpool College, said:

“Winning this grant is great news because now we can finish the changing rooms for the football pitch and also add education rooms, a cafe, a function suite, and an outdoor event space.

“This will mean we can create more jobs and volunteering opportunities, and provide training facilities for local people.

“After all our hard work over the years, with all our past members as well, it’s a really exciting moment for us as a group to instruct our developers, Krol Corlett, to start the building work, and we are aiming to open the doors to our new facilities by the end of this year.

Commenting on the latest phase of the Tiber site development, local Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside, Kim Johnson, said:

“I am delighted that Tiber has received this Youth Investment Funding which will enable it to create a much-needed youth resource facility and additional outdoor event space to complement their 3G football pitch.

“I have long been a fan of the work that Tiber do, enabling young people to develop projects that they have designed to meet their needs, and to offer a wide ranging programme of activities for local young people.

“I am delighted to see they will create new jobs, and be able to reach and support even more young people.”

Facilitator of the TYPSG, Stephen Nze, said:

“All the young people should feel really proud about the way their hard work is paying off and how they have influenced the look and feel of their own area.

“What is special about the way Tiber operates is that it’s the young people who come up with the ideas and who, ultimately, learn how they can be part of influencing the development of their own community.”

Simon Krol, Director at Krol Corlett Construction, said:

“Having spoken to the young people on the steering group about the research they’ve done, asking local people what they want and need on the Tiber site, makes it especially fulfilling to be involved with a development that is so rooted in its community.

“The young people have certainly inspired us at Krol Corlett with their vision for Toxteth and I can’t wait to hand the keys over to them when the work is completed.”

Commenting on the wider impact of the Youth Investment Fund and its impact across 220 projects across the country, Culture Secretary, Lucy Frazer, said:

“I want to see every young person have someone to talk to, something to do, and somewhere to go outside of the classroom, no matter where they are from, to help maximise their potential in life.

“This next round of funding from the Youth Investment Fund will help nearly 20,000 more young people achieve this goal.

“We have now committed to building or refurbishing over 220 projects in some of the country’s most underserved areas, creating more opportunities for young people to gain the skills needed to succeed in life and stopping them from falling through the cracks.”

Nick Temple, CEO for Social Investment Business, that leads the delivery partnership said:

“The Youth Investment Fund is truly unlocking potential and creating a legacy for future generations of young people in communities across the country.”

Find more information about the new Tiber development here.

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