West Youth Zone

On Side Youth Zones

Research shows cuts to youth clubs affect teen crime and education

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WEST Youth Zone’s impact on communities in Hammersmith & Fulham has been validated by groundbreaking research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) by Carmen Villa. The study reveals the far-reaching consequences of youth club closures across London, underlining the critical need for spaces like WEST Youth Zone and others across the OnSide network in preventing crime and fostering educational success.

According to the IFS, closures of youth clubs during the 2010s have led to stark increases in teen crime and declines in academic performance. Young people deprived of safe spaces like WEST were 14% more likely to engage in criminal activity and saw their GCSE scores fall significantly, with students from disadvantaged backgrounds particularly affected. These outcomes highlight youth clubs as not just recreational hubs but vital support systems that provide mentorship, educational resources, and a structured environment.

Elanor Gunn, CEO of WEST, emphasises, “This research confirms the positive outcomes of our Youth Zone that we see every day at WEST. We offer more than activities, we provide stability and guidance that can shape local young people’s futures.”

WEST Youth Zone, in just 6 months of opening, has served over 2,400 young people, offering more than 20 activities each session, from sports to creative arts, with a focus on inclusivity and personal growth. As local councils face ongoing financial pressures, this research underscores the long-term societal and economic costs of cutting youth services. For every youth club that closes, the community not only loses a safe haven for its youth but faces increased burdens on the criminal justice system and reduced future earnings for affected individuals.

By supporting in WEST, we safeguard our young people’s potential and ensure a brighter, safer future for Hammersmith & Fulham and wider West London. This research makes it clear: Youth Zones like WEST aren’t optional—they’re essential.

For further details, read the IFS research and supporting commentary: IFS Report

If you would like more information on how you can can support WEST, contact: enquiries@westyouthzone.org

WEST Youth Zone Celebrates Success with Founder Supporter Dinner

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On Thursday 26th September, WEST Youth Zone hosted a Founder Supporter Dinner, a remarkable evening celebrating the dedication of our supporters, staff and volunteers to empower young people in the local community. Held alongside a 90s Disco for senior members, the event brought together funders, supporters, and talented youth, making it an evening to remember.

roller skating 90s disco west youth zone

The night kicked off with an energetic 90s-themed party for the Youth Zone members, who roller-skated and partied the evening away while guests of WEST gathered for a more intimate event. Hosted by Harry Wills, Junior and Holiday Club Manager, and PJ, a rising WEST star and Junior Member, the dinner featured performances from some of the many talented young members.

First off, Macy sang a beautiful rendition of Valerie by Amy Winehouse followed by creative photography slideshow from junior members Julia, Reah & Ruby. Ashley, who first visited WEST a few weeks ago, played guitar and sang an emotional song. Aneela and Jude were up next, they sang Diamonds by Rhianna which was one of their first ever performances on a stage. Ziyanda rocked us out with a drum solo which he learnt in the Music Room. These impressive displays of talent reflected the hard work and commitment that our youth workers invests in nurturing the skills of local young people. It’s safe to say, our guests were impressed!

“It was so inspiring to see the Youth Zone in full flow and buzzing with all that energy amongst the members, volunteers and team. The talent showcased by the young people was extraordinary and a real testament to everyone involved in drawing out all that gold.” – Supporter of WEST.

Everyone was treated to a delicious meal courtesy of the BiteCity catering team, whose dishes made the night even more special. The Founder Supporter Dinner was more than just a show; it was also a heartfelt appreciation for the funders and supporters who make the work here possible. Their contributions and ongoing support allow us to continue our mission of providing a safe, inclusive, and empowering space for young people. To celebrate, we asked funders to collect their award plaques and shake hands with two impressive young leaders Emaan & Charice.

The WEST Value Awards were highlight of the evening, celebrating individuals who embody our core values. Tayshaurn, a senior member, won the Ambition award for embracing new challenges and driving success. Maael, also a senior member, was honoured with the Excellence award for consistently striving to improve and solve problems. Junior member, Anjali, received the Respect award for her integrity and care for others. Volunteer Aris earned the Collaboration award for fostering partnerships, while youth worker Alex was recognised with the Young People First award, exemplifying the focus on youth at the heart of WEST’s mission.

The evening ended with a showcase of Young Leaders sharing their favourite things about WEST with Macy’s beautiful singing as a backing track.

A HUGE thanks to all who made the evening such a success. The continued engagement of the founders and supporters will undoubtedly fuel the future success of WEST Youth Zone, enabling more young people to thrive and reach their full potential. Here’s to many more evenings of celebration!

To find out more about becoming a WEST Patron, look here: https://westyouthzone.org/support-us/

Celebrating Excellence: WEST Employees Shine at H&F Council Civic Honours Awards!

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Last week, we had the pleasure of celebrating our incredible team members, Shineade, Nuro, Rama, and Zara, for their outstanding achievements at the H&F Council Civic Honours Awards! It was great to see the recognition they deserved for their impact within the White City community and WEST Youth Zone.

Shineade Burton, our Volunteer Coordinator and Just for Girls Session Lead, was celebrated for her exceptional individual contributions towards building a stronger, safer, and kinder community. Her impactful work, both at local school Ark Swift Primary Academy and within WEST Youth Zone, has left an indelible mark on the lives of young people, their parents and fellow colleagues. Shineade’s commitment to empowering our youth throughout her career is truly inspiring.

Meanwhile, Nuro, Rama, and Zara were acknowledged as Parent & Carer Champions, a testament to their unwavering dedication and support for their families and the Hammersmith and Fulham community. Their efforts match up greatly with our mission here at WEST Youth Zone, where we strive to empower young people.

These outstanding individuals serve as role models for our young members and colleagues at WEST. We couldn’t be prouder of their achievements and the positive impact they continue to make in our organisation and beyond.

To Shineade, Nuro, Rama, and Zara: your contributions are invaluable, and we are immensely grateful for all that you do. Congratulations once again on this well-deserved recognition! Let’s continue to inspire young people together.

Read about the Council’s event here.

Interested in being part of the WEST Team? Check out our vacancies here.

The Prince of Wales will visit WEST Youth Zone

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On Thursday 14th March, The Prince of Wales will visit WEST Youth Zone to see our brand-new purpose-built facilities that will soon be available to young people in West London.

WEST are excited to welcome His Royal Highness to mark the first time young people will have access to the Youth Zone.

Please view announcement from Kensington Palace below:

Learn Why WEST Youth Zone Loves International Women’s Day!

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WEST Youth Zone supports International Women’s Day as it is our aim to make the youth zone accessible for all young people in the local community no matter how they identify.

What is International Women’s Day?

Today, 8th March 2024, marks this year’s International Women’s Day. The focal point of the movement is to support women’s rights and highlight issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and abuse towards women. 

This year’s theme is #InspireInclusion. International Women’s Day wants to imagine a world with gender equality; a world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. This day brings people together to collectively highlight these women focused topics and #InspireInclusion. 

Why does WEST Youth Zone support International Women’s Day?

WEST Youth Zone supports International Women’s Day as it is our aim to make the youth zone accessible for all young people in the local community no matter their gender, race, faith, identity, ability, and how they identify. We embody our name “WEST – Where Everybody Sticks Together”. Therefore, always enabling IWD’s focal point of gender equality. 

What will WEST offer to support girls inside the Youth Zone?

Once open, WEST will offer a “Just for Girls” session each Sunday. The weekly sessions will allow members that identify as female to have exclusivity of the building. The sessions will be led by what our young girls want to do. Here at WEST, we will listen to what activities are needed to create invaluable and rewarding girls only sessions. 

In Hammersmith and Fulham, there are a wide variety of races and faiths. According to the 2021 Censes, the West London postcode area have 40.8% of people identifying as non-white compared to 18.3% in the whole of England & Wales (see Plumplot). It is important our Youth Zone supports women no matter their race, faith, and wider identity to ensure belonging and inspire inclusion within the local community. 

No matter how you identify, WEST will provide young people with “Somewhere to go, Something to do, and Someone to talk to”.

Our Just for Girls sessions aim to enable female empowerment away from the potentially uncomfortable mixed gender club sessions. Some examples are: 

  • Just for Girls Gym Classes to improve strength and confidence.
  • The discussion of female topics in our Health and Wellbeing room such as women’s sexual health and social media pressures for girls.
  • Female self defence classes in our Boxing Gym.  
  • Arts and Crafts activities to enable creativity and release emotions.
  • A variety of sports lead by women Youth Workers such as Netball, Tennis, Football, and Hockey.
  • Just for Girl cooking sessions in our Teaching Kitchen to support Women’s Health. 
  • Girls only music sessions will embrace their race, faith, ability, and how they identify. 
  • and much more!

View our TikTok to take a look inside WEST

Sign Up Today!

If you are interested in being a member at WEST to access to our Just for Girls sessions, sign up today here: Become a Member!

Do you think you can add more to our Just for Girls sessions? You can volunteer at WEST Youth Zone by filling out this form: Become a Volunteer!

WEST Supports Children’s Mental Health Week

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Here at WEST Youth Zone, ensuring the safety of young people and creating an environment where they can be supported and where they can express themselves is top priority. That’s why we support Children’s Mental Health Week! 

What is Children’s Mental Health Week? 

Children’s Mental Health Week, taking place on the 5th – 11th of February 2024, is an awareness campaign week created by children’s mental health charity, Place2Be. The charity provides vital services including counselling, mental health support and training in UK schools. They launched the week-long initiative in 2015 to empower, equip and give a voice to every child in the UK.  

This year’s theme is ‘My Voice Matters’ which is all about empowering children and young people by providing them with the tools they need to express themselves. Allowing children to have their voices heard can make a difference by making them have a greater sense of community and heightened self-esteem, something WEST Youth Zone wants to encourage year-round.  

Why WEST Youth Zone Supports Place2Be’s Awareness Week 

WEST is taking part in Place2Be’s Children’s Mental Health Week because we prioritise the wellbeing of young individuals. We have a commitment to create a safe and nurturing space for our members where they can openly express themselves and share experiences with Youth Workers and other young people. 

OnSide’s recent research report, Generation Isolation, found that 50% of young people reported high or very high feelings of anxiety and 46% of young people having anxiety around their future. 

By endorsing Children’s Mental Health Week, we aim to raise awareness and promote discussion around the topic of mental health of our youth. Alongside this, promoting that our Youth Zone is space where children can talk about their worries and therefore helping improve anxiety and general mental health. 

WEST’s Inclusion Coordinator, Harry Wills, says: 

“Kid’s voices matter because their opinions are valid and deserve respect. As my role as a youth worker, I want to facilitate them to express themselves, encouraging them to pursue their goals. At WEST, we want to provide familiar and welcoming spaces where young people feel comfortable and have approachable staff with friendly faces and open ears, therefore helping to ease any anxieties they may have” 

How to Get Involved 

Visit Place2Be’s website to find out more about the awareness week. You will be able to download resources there to share with your children, students, or friends. Together, we can help give a voice to all young people in the UK! 

Do you want to make a difference to children’s mental health in West London? Find out more about volunteering at WEST Youth Zone here: Get Involved – Volunteer. We also have vacancies here: Get Involved – Vacancies 

To support WEST in our first year of opening, you can donate here: Support Us 

Westfield supports WEST

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The Youth Zone, which was named WEST (standing for Where Everyone Sticks Together) after a vote by nearly 3,000 local young people, is being developed by the national charity OnSide, which has a network of 14 similar centres across the UK. 

Once developed, it will be run as an independent, local charity as a unique partnership between young people and their community, local authorities and private business leadership.

Open seven days a week, WEST will provide young people aged 8-19 (and up to 25 for those with additional needs) affordable access to a wide range of programmes, services and activities including sports, arts, music, employability and mentoring. Membership will cost £5 a year with young people then paying just 50p each visit, which will give them access to all the facilities and activities on offer.

As a Founder Patron, Westfield will contribute towards the charity’s annual £1.3million running costs.

This commitment forms part of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s UK Community Resilience Programme – a five-year action plan that consolidates all the company’s work in its communities aligned to URW’s global ‘Better Places 2030’ strategy. 

Achieving this target within the Better Places strategy involved each centre in the Westfield portfolio conducting a comprehensive audit of local stakeholders as well as identifying the key challenges facing the local communities. This audit paved the way for identifying the right local partners to work with based on key community needs and how Westfield centres would be best placed to support those needs. The Community Resilience Programme will result in designing relevant projects which enable the communities to flourish. 

Westfield London, the UK’s leading retail and leisure destination, has pledged its support to Hammersmith and Fulham’s young people by becoming a Founder Patron of the borough’s new OnSide Youth Zone.

Work on the WEST Youth Zone began last month and is due to open in 2023 as part of EdCity, a new £150m not-for-profit regeneration scheme in White City that will bring improved community facilities, new affordable homes and an innovative education hub to White City in west London.

Mark Davies, Chair of WEST Youth Zone said: “We are absolutely delighted that Westfield is supporting WEST Youth Zone. We are at a very exciting time with work beginning on site, so to receive this incredible support from Westfield and all our other Founder Patrons is especially pleasing. WEST will give young people somewhere safe and inspirational to spend their leisure time with so many exciting things to do and trained youth workers to talk to.”

Jacinta Roswell, General Manager of Westfield London said: “We are delighted to support WEST Youth Zone, this state of the art facility will provide a space for local young people to learn and develop new skills in a safe and secure environment. In line with our group’s Better Places 2030 strategy, we’re committed to making a positive impact on the lives of current and future residents and communities.”

As well as WEST Youth Zone, EdCity will include a new building for Ark Swift Academy (which is currently located on the land which will be developed into EdCity), an improved Harmony Neighbourhood Nursery, an expanded and transformed adult education and community learning centre, office space and 132 new homes.

Meet the Hammersmith and Fulham Young People’s Development Group

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With news that OnSide is set to open a Youth Zone in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, we’ve set up a Young People’s Development Group in the area.

This fantastic group will work with the charity to help us understand exactly what issues young people in the borough are facing to enable us to ensure we give them the best possible offer when their Youth Zone opens.

They will also work with OnSide to come up with the brand and identity for the Youth Zone, to promote the facility across Hammersmith & Fulham, interviewing staff and much more. They’ve already spent time visiting other Youth Zones across the network and will get many more opportunities to do that again.

The founding members are Brandy and brothers Tyrek, Tayjean and Trayquarn.

Brandy said: “We meet up every week and talk about Youth Zones as well as presenting to other groups in the local area as well as going on residentials.”

Trayquarn said: “I’m really looking to the new Youth Zone opening because I will be able to get involved in different activities that I don’t usually do in school.”

Tayjean said: “My favourite thing about Youth Zones is everything! It has a music room – I like playing drums – and it’s great for kids to have an amazing experience.”

Tyrek said: “A Youth Zone in Hammersmith and Fulham will be really good, it will get a lot of young people to get off the streets and into the Youth Zone. I’d tell all the other young people in Hammersmith and Fulham to get involved with the Development Group because it’s a great experience.”

Hammersmith and Fulham Youth Zone will be part of an innovative education hub, known as EdCity, with a  new school, nursery, adult education centre and affordable housing in White City.

The plans will see the site, currently occupied by Ark Swift Primary Academy, Harmony Neighbourhood Nursery and the Adult Community Learning Centre, redeveloped with state-of-the-art facilities for a replacement school, nursery and adult education centre.

In addition, OnSide and the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham are working in partnership to develop Hammersmith & Fulham Youth Zone, the first Youth Zone in west London, offering a huge range of affordable activities and inspiring sports, arts, music, mentoring and employability programmes to young people from eight to 19 (and up to 25 for those with additional needs), seven days a week.

The Youth Zone will include indoor sports facilities and a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) for basketball, trampolining, cricket, volleyball, badminton, table tennis and five-a-side football. The Youth Zone’s facilities will be used during school hours by the new Ark Swift Primary Academy.

If you want to be a part of the Hammersmith and Fulham Young People’s Development Group, contact Mark Blundell on 07734889308 or email mark.blundell@onsideyouthzones.org.

Green light for multi-million education and charity hub

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Hammersmith and Fulham Borough Council last night approved a proposal for a major new education charity hub – paving the way for a scheme that will benefit thousands of children and young people for years to come and help to regenerate the White City area.

The EdCity development was brought forward by the education charity Ark and by Hammersmith and Fulham Borough Council. When complete, it will provide shared office space for mission-aligned charities, as well as a primary school, a nursery, new youth facilities, an adult education centre and new affordable homes.

EdCity will create:

A new building for Ark Swift Primary Academy, with brand new facilities including outdoor learning spaces, improved IT, sports, and performing arts facilities. Ark Swift Primary Academy is rated Good by Ofsted

An improved Harmony Neighbourhood Nursery, nearly doubling its capacity and providing much-needed early years education in the local area. Harmony is rated Outstanding by Ofsted

The new OnSide Youth Zone, named WEST by local young people, that will offer an array of after-school, weekend and evening activities and opportunities for the local community aged between 8 and 19, including those aged up to 25 with a disability.

An expanded and transformed adult education and community learning centre– providing training and learning opportunities for local residents

132 new homes,more than half of which will be genuinely affordablefor local people and key workers including teachers

A new hubfor education charities, providing office and collaboration space for Ark and mission-aligned organisations

A new boulevard and public square, providing better walking and cycling routes fromthe White City estate in the west to the redeveloped business district and transport hub in the east, as well as public space for the community to use

The redeveloped primary school will be completed in 2021, with EdCity fully finished in 2023. Ark and the Council are sharing the funding of the £120m project.

Lucy Heller, Chief Executive of Ark, said:  “We are delighted that EdCity has been approved. We are looking forward to working in partnership with Hammersmith and Fulham Borough Council and others to provide better opportunities for children locally, in London and beyond.”

Mark Davies, Chair of Hammersmith and Fulham Youth Zone, said: “We are extremely excited to open West London’s first OnSide Youth Zone in White City. It will give young people somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to.”

Plans for an innovative education hub, affordable housing & new community facilities in White City take major step forward

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An innovative education hub, known as EdCity, with a Youth Zone, new school, nursery, adult education centre and affordable housing will be built in White City, after Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s Planning and Development Control Committee unanimously resolved to grant planning permission.

The plans will see the site, currently occupied by Ark Swift Primary Academy, Harmony Neighbourhood Nursery and the Adult Community Learning Centre, redeveloped with state-of-the-art facilities for a replacement school, nursery and adult education centre.

In addition, OnSide and the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham are working in partnership to develop Hammersmith & Fulham Youth Zone, the first Youth Zone in west London, offering a huge range of affordable activities and inspiring sports, arts, music, mentoring and employability programmes to young people from eight to 19 (and up to 25 for those with additional needs), seven days a week.

The Youth Zone will include indoor sports facilities and a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) for basketball, trampolining, cricket, volleyball, badminton, table tennis and five-a-side football. The Youth Zone’s facilities will be used during school hours by the new Ark Swift Primary Academy.

EdCity will also provide affordable office space for charities and social enterprises, 71 new affordable homes and 61 homes for private rent. A landscaped boulevard connecting the White City estate to Wood Lane will be introduced, with new trees and a new public square.

Andrew McLean, Vengrove, the development manager for EdCity, said: “We are delighted that the committee recognised the significant benefits that EdCity will bring to the area, whether you are a parent looking for great education for your child, a young person looking to discover a new talent, an adult looking to learn a new skill or a charity looking for affordable office space.” 

“There are so many opportunities in H&F and more being created every day, we want everyone to be able to take advantage of them.” said Cllr Sue Macmillan H&F Cabinet Member for Children and Education.

“This is why we’re so glad we could play such a key role in this development – providing the land needed for it to go ahead and funding in the years to come. It will help give all young people their very best shot at everything life has to offer.”

Jamie Masraff, Project Director, OnSide Youth Zones, said: “This will be our first Youth Zone in west London. It will offer a high-quality, safe and affordable place for young people to go in their leisure time. From DJ-ing to rock climbing, martial arts to dance, we want to inspire and support young people, giving them a second home where they can flourish. This decision is a major milestone in bringing us significantly closer to being able to make a difference in west London.” 

Alongside other education-focused charities and social enterprises, one of the major new tenants of the affordable office space will be Ark, the education charity with a network of schools in Hammersmith and Fulham including Ark Swift Primary Academy, which will move its headquarters from central London.

Jason Marantz, the principal at Ark Swift Primary Academy, said: “This is very exciting for Ark Swift – we cannot wait to move into our new, state-of-the-art educational facilities and see our pupils benefit from all the opportunities that will be created by being part of EdCity.” 

Harmony Neighbourhood Nursery’s new facilities will allow them to expand from 45 to 75 children, offering its Ofsted-Outstanding care and early years education to more local children.

H&F Council will work with them and find temporary accommodation to ensure there will be no loss in provision for working parents while the work is taking place.

Meanwhile the council’s adult community learning centre will move into a larger, state-of-the-art facility, bringing its essential services to more people in the local area.

Jana Hassan, manager of Harmony Neighbourhood Nursery, added: “We are currently oversubscribed and so it is wonderful that we will be able to expand our Ofsted-outstanding care and early years education to more parents in White City.” 

Construction could begin this summer with the new Ark Swift Primary Academy and OnSide Youth Zone opening in 2020, the new Harmony Neighbourhood Nursery opening in 2021 and all construction work complete by 2022.

More information is available on the project website: www.edcity.org.

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