Chilled out young people in Baglan are being given a state-of-the-art centre to hang out thanks to grant funding of more than £280,000.
Neath Port Talbot Council has been successful in securing £237,000 from the Big Lottery Fund’s People and Places programme and £50,000 from the Welsh Assembly Government’s (WAG) Community Facilities and Activities Programme, to create a Chill Out Centre on the ground floor of Baglan Library.
Architects have drawn up plans for the Chill Out Centre, which will include a Chill Out Zone with a flat screen TV, Playstation, Wii and a pool table, a food outlet and computers with internet access.
The centre will provide a central, community based facility where young people can access information, advice and support on youth issues and learning and training opportunities.
Neath Port Talbot Council leader Ali Thomas said partnership working has ensured that the project will soon become a reality.
He said: “For five years the Baglan Youth Forum has worked tirelessly with the Authority, local voluntary groups, the police, local members Juliette Hopkins and Peter Richards and other organisations to consult with the community to identify what services they needed in Baglan.
“Securing £287,000 from the Big Lottery Fund and WAG will ensure that the dreams of the community become reality and I look forward to how the Chill Out Centre will benefit the community when work is completed at the end of this year.”
Fully trained staff will be employed at the centre to carryout a comprehensive programme of activities to engage with the young people of Baglan and the surrounding communities.
The centre has also been tailored to meet the needs of the community as a whole and will provide a venue for local groups and organisations to meet.
