New centre for Bristol youngsters

It will provide new facilities, including skateboarding workshops.

Youngsters from Bristol are set to exchange ideas with professional architects to design a £5m youth centre in the city.

It will give local teenagers, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, a place to go.

It is hoped that the site of the centre will be at an old fire station next to the former Bridewell Police Station.

The new venue will feature a range off acilities, including a climbing wall, fitness suite and music studios.

The funding, from the Department for Children, Schools and Families' myplace programme has been administered by the Big Fund, the non-lottery funding operation of the Big Lottery Fund.

Youth organisation Young Bristol has also worked hard to secure the money, and chief executive Trevor Jones says youngsters really will have a say in the design of the site.

"There's been a huge change in the way in which you look at things," said Trevor.

"The young people are the 'clients', so we've created our client groups, they've been up to London, they've seen different places up in London and they're going to be working side by side with our architects here in Bristol and they're going to be working with top designers.

"They are going to be the people who make the decisions."

Young Bristol hope that the building work will start in May 2010, with a completion the following year.

Trevor added: "I think it'll help young people to see that they've got an exciting city that they can come into.

"I hope we'll be able to get young people to think about safety when they come into the city.

"I hope that we'll be encouraging young people to get training, and to be able to enjoy themselves and extend their horizons; do new activities and enter into new opportunities."