YOUNG people in St Helier could soon benefit from a new youth and community centre at the site of a derelict brewery, if planners give the green light.
Plans to redevelop the former Ann Street Brewery into a space for young people were submitted earlier this month by the Jersey Youth Service.
The proposed facilities will include a sports hall, rooftop kick pitch, climbing wall, dance studio, boxing gym, fitness rooms, sensory room, food preparation areas, multi-use rooms, and eight counselling rooms.
It will also become the new home for the Youth Enquiry Service (YES), which offers advice, counselling, and support to young people.
If approved, construction is expected to begin later this year, with the full project completed by mid-2028.
The initiative, which is being backed by the government, aims to fill what officials described as a “long overdue” gap in facilities for children, young people, and families living in the north of town.
Assistant Minister for Children and Families, Deputy Malcolm Ferey, said the proposals had been shaped by feedback from young Islanders who called for more free spaces to meet, play, and take part in activities.
“The development of these facilities will have a significantly positive impact on our children, young people, and their families in town, and will offer them a new service within modern facilities,” he said.
“We are listening to our young people who have told us that ‘more places to play, free clubs and activities, and activities for older children’ were all very important to them.
“It is vital that we continue to invest in services to support our children and young people and provide support and guidance for the adults of the future.”
Associate Director for Young People’s Services, Mark Capern, said the new centre would act as a hub for the local community, offering a wide range of activities from sport and dance to arts, crafts, and life skills.
He said: “The town youth and community centre will provide children and young people much-needed access to engage in positive activities, have access to Youth Workers, and have somewhere where they can be part of their community.
“The youth work curriculum delivered from the centre will provide children and young people with various learning activities that support their health and well-being, opportunities for them to be physically active in various games and sports, as well as quieter activities like arts and crafts, and opportunities to develop life-skills such as cooking.”
The centre’s catchment area will include children from Rouge Bouillon, Janvrin, Springfield, and St Luke’s schools, where there are around 1,679 children and young people within easy walking distance.
Of those, more than 800 are multilingual learners and more than 550 are from low-income households, according to the Youth Service.
Research carried out through “Life on the Rock” – a project that captured the experiences of young people growing up in Jersey – highlighted the demand for more spaces for play, leisure, and socialising.
In the survey, 42% of young people selected “better places for young people to spend time and play in their local area” as one of the top five things that would improve life on the Island.
The Jersey Youth Service said it had worked with residents, families, and young people during the planning process, and said there would be further opportunities for young people to be involved in designing and decorating the centre’s interior once building work is complete.
