'Safe space' youth hub to expand to meet demand

A youth centre in Doncaster is hoping to expand into a second venue as demand continues to grow.

The EPIC Hub in Frenchgate has become an award-winning success story since it opened five years ago.

A total of 2,410 young people used it between April last year and March this year, with more than 8,300 attendances.

Deputy manager Tom Chambers said: "By having a bigger space, we will not only be able to keep with that demand, we will be able to build better relationships."

He added: "These kids are our future.

"I'm from Bentley and Scawthorpe. I was the last year group in school that had a youth club in the area."

"We have noticed a decline in opportunities for young people. This gives them something."

Members of City of Doncaster Council's young people panel recently visited the EPIC hub and said they got "great vibes" from it.

Councillor Bob Anderson said: "The new place they are looking at just shows a positive to me. People want to use it."

There has been a 14 per cent increase in engagement at the EPIC hub in the past year, something which led to the site receiving a national award in February 2026, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"Over the last five years, we've become that safe space for young people," Chambers said.

"We've become an area for young people to hang around and associate with their friends."

He said plans from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority to expand free bus travel for under-18s across the region, after its success in Barnsley, would bring more young people to Doncaster city centre.

Chambers added: "If young people have got free transport they will want to come to the city centre."

As well as looking at a second premises, the hub is increasing its offering this summer, inviting attendees on day trips such as paintballing and high rope adventures.

"It's something that some young people may never get the opportunity to do," Chambers said.

"I think we all forget that even having a football these days could be a bit of a luxury. We still see young people coming without access to the internet at home."

EPIC is part of the council's wider youth offer, which includes further hubs at Tom Hill in Denaby Main and Bentley Youth Hub on Askern Road.

It was founded as part of a partnership with South Yorkshire Police and Frenchgate Shopping Centre.

"It's not just us building relationships with young people, it's the police, it's the security team," Chambers said.

"If we weren't here, that good work with young people wouldn't be here and the negative images around the city centre could have been a lot more."

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North