Youth and community-led service aims to empower young people and community members through a range of activities
On Friday 25th October, the local community in Bognor Regis celebrated the official opening of The Phoenix Centre – a community hub delivering a range of services for young people, families and local residents.
The Phoenix Centre, which has been closed for a number of years, has been re-opened following a community asset transfer from West Sussex County Council (WSCC) to United Learning – a national group of schools which includes The Regis School, Southway Primary and Stepping Stones Nursery. The building boasts a range of impressive facilities including a full-sized sports hall, two recording studios, café, commercial kitchen and a sensory room.
The hub has been developed through collaboration with young people, community groups and residents whose ideas and vision have shaped the services on offer. Following their input the hub will host a range of activities including boxing, arts and crafts, table tennis and air hockey, as well as music sessions, parent and toddler groups and sensory sessions.
The official opening follows a taster week in August when the centre ran a variety of activities to give a preview of what is to come including a DJ workshop, gaming session and instruments taster session.
Given the hub has been closed for a number of years, there has been much excitement for its official reopening. Guests enjoyed a tour of the building and were treated to some special performances from The Regis School pupils and the Dance with Attitude community group. To mark the official opening, a ribbon cutting took place involving the Mayor and Chief Executive of United Learning, Sir Jon Coles.
Youth and Community Development Manager at The Regis School, Sean O’Connor, said:
“We are thrilled to officially reopen the Phoenix Centre and look forward to the hub becoming an important space for the community. Over the coming months, we plan on partnering with local organisations to offer our community members a plethora of experiences and services that will enable them to learn new skills, connect with one another and grow in confidence. It is clear that the hub is a highly valued community asset and we are excited to make a positive difference to our local residents’ lives through the services we offer.”
Head of Community Development at United Learning, Charlie Chan, said:
“It has been incredibly inspiring to see how much impact schools working with their communities can have and so it is wonderful to reopen The Phoenix Centre to the community in Bognor Regis. We are very pleased to have developed our offering through collaboration with young people and local residents and look forward to empowering the community through the fantastic range of activities open to all at the hub.”