Young people have fundraised and helped to design the new-look Gara Young People’s Centre, Forest Town.
Nottinghamshire County Council has completed a refurbishment of the centre, previously known as The Garrage YPC, on Garibaldi Road.

It was officially opened by Coun Tracey Taylor, vice-chairman of the council’s children and young people’s committee.

Chloe Smith and other teenagers who had a major say in the redesign of the building were also at the event.

Youth centre worker Zoe Taylor, said: “Chloe became part of the centre’s youth management committee and together with two other young people decided we needed to make changes to the youth club.

“She became instrumental in contacting the head of service, county councillors and local district councillors to try to raise funds to have a refurbishment of the youth club.”

Young people organised a litter pick, cake bake sale and jumble sales, and local county councillors provided funding to support an arts project on the outside of the centre.

Coun Taylor, who attended the cake sale last year, said: “Chloe has clearly grown as a person and found the youth service has been a positive influence for her development.

“Together with her peers and staff at the centre they have achieved so much.

“We are proud of our youth services and work hard to provide the best value, high quality and enjoyable activities that we can.

“We are delighted that the Gara Young People’s Centre can start an exciting new chapter.”

In May 2017, a close friend of Chloe died and young people at the centre needed a lot of support and help to help them deal with the grief, and understand what happened and why.

Despite that, they kept on with the refurbishment project.

A memorial board is now in place at the new-look centre for the young man.

Chloe, 17, who lives nearby, said: “It has taken a long time and been hard work to get to this point.

“There have been times when I doubted the refurbishment would actually happen, but here it is ­— and it’s pretty impressive.”

Young people picked colour schemes, types of kitchen equipment, flooring and made changes to initial building design.

They developed artwork plans and a graffiti artist worked with the young people to create graffiti boards to decorate youth club walls.

The project was supported by the council’s property team and designed and delivered by Arc Partnership, a joint venture between the council and Scape Group.

Andy Wells, Head of Design and Delivery, at the Arc Partnership, said: “Arc Partnership have undertaken both the design and construction aspects of this project to open up part of the interior of the existing building. A refurbishment providing new equipment, internal finishes, decorations and alterations to services has been completed.

“Through close liaison with the client, service provider and end user at Nottinghamshire County Council the facilities for the young people of the local community have been improved.”