Pokesdown Youth Club

This youth club in Stourvale Road, East Boscombe is one of the oldest in the country and is set to become a key YMCA project in the coming years. Many thousands of young people have benefited from the centre during over 100 years that it has been in operation and it was handed over to Bournemouth YMCA in 2000 so that we could continue to develop and expand the work to meet the needs of young people and the community in the 21st century.

The club aims to provide a safe gathering place for young people and includes various leisure activities, as well as providing the more training and curriculum based work. It aims to provide a mix of formal and informal learning opportunities in a light atmosphere, helping young people to develop both hard and soft/interpersonal skills. It is operated by trained youth workers who are able to provide support, advice and encouragement to the young people at a critical time in their lives, enabling them to maximise their potential.

Plans have been developed to expand the working area of the building and the facilities offered by demolishing the current very run down premises and erecting a brand new club and consent has been obtained from the borough Planning Department for this. The new building will include a bespoke youth club area, a multi-purpose training suite, a multi-purpose hall, a Childrens' Centre, a media training suite and some single bed accommodation for young people. The facilities will all be accessible to the young people in the area and will also be available to the wider community at certain times of the day.

Full information on the club and our development plans can be found at www.pokesdownyouthclub.org.