Young people to be scanned for weapons at new youth zone

Young people using Bristol's biggest ever youth centre will be scanned with metal detectors on entry, after a survey found the majority believed security checks would help them feel safer.

The £12m 224 Youth Zone, in south Bristol, is due to open in June and will include a climbing wall, gym, sensory room, sports hall and teaching kitchen.

The centre aims to reach 5,000 members within its first year, bringing together young people from across neighbouring communities where gang rivalries have historically existed.

"People just need to understand that this is a safe place, it's not going to be dangerous if you come here," said 16-year-old Ryder, who has been involved in shaping the project.

224 Youth Zone has been designed to provide "somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to."

It will be open seven days a week to young people aged 8-19, and up to 25 for those with additional needs.

Membership costs £5 per year, plus 50p per visit.

An on-site cafe will provide hot meals for £1.

Activities will include boxing, football, trampolining, art, music, gaming and karaoke, while the sports hall can be used for basketball, netball, volleyball and badminton.

A safety survey, carried out by young people as part of preparations for the opening, found more than 75% supported security measures, including metal detector checks at the entrance.

"You get wanded, and obviously if someone is dangerous they can't enter the building, so you're safe inside," explained Ryder.

"The whole point is to bring people together, not tear people apart."

At the moment, he said, many young people in the area don't feel they have a safe place to go.

"We just sit around on corners of streets and free roam until it's dark out and we want to go home," he added.

"A space like this gives us loads of stuff we can be doing with our time instead of just wasting it."

Zack Dugdale, Head of Play, Youth and Partnerships at 224, said staying safe is an "everyday" topic of conversation for the young people he works with.

"It is a real danger that young people now think about and actively talk about," he explained.

"Whatever we can do to help alleviate that pressure on young people - we want this to be a thriving space where young people can just be young people.

"It's about time we have some change where we bring communities together and I hope this becomes a beacon for that."

CEO Matt Justice said that longstanding tensions in the area are "not something we're going to fix in a day."

"It's going to be slow and steady," he acknowledged, "but actually when young people come into the building and they're engaged, it's a really positive relationship."

The variety of activities on offer - from trampolining to gaming and karaoke - should mean "they don't really know and they don't really care where people are from.

"A really big part of it is making sure people feel safe and feel that they belong when they're here."

CJ said the presence of youth workers in every room will help people feel safe in the centre, which can accommodate up to 250 young people per session.

"I can be myself here," he said.

"I can have my creative side and my hard-working side.

"I can learn in the cooking room, I can actually afford to go to the gym. I'm buzzing for it."

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