Green light for Mansfield Woodhouse gym to be turned into youth hub by charity
A former gym and fitness studio in Mansfield Woodhouse has been given the green light to be converted into a hub to help unemployed young people.
The two-storey building, at 159 Yorke Street, was previously occupied by The Winning Culture fitness centre, but went on the market earlier this year.
It was taken over by the Mansfield-based Inspire and Achieve Foundation (IAF), a charity dedicated to supporting disadvantaged young people, aged between 16 and 26.
And now the IAF has been granted planning permission by Mansfield District Council for a change-of-use from gym to youth hub.
A spokesperson for the council said: “The youth hub will function as a multi-purpose community facility for young people.
"It will provide services such as one-to-one mentoring, coaching sessions and group workshops, and will act as a drop-in communal space. It may also host occasional events.
"The hub will operate primarily during the daytime and early evenings on workdays, with occasional weekend activities, all under the supervision of trained staff.”
The IAF charity prides itself on helping jobless young people, many of whom have “significant personal barriers to overcome”, into employment, education or training.
A spokesperson says: “Over the past 15 years, we have supported thousands of young people across Nottinghamshire with our refreshingly human approach.
"Every unemployed young person who reaches out to us is treated with care, dignity and respect.
"We have an open-door policy, which means we are prepared to do whatever it takes to be accessible to every young person who is in need. From home visits to prison pick-ups, when we’re called on, we will be there.”
The IAF’s application was accompanied by a planning statement by its agent, Reece Musson, of the Retford-based creative design studio, UKSD Developments.
UKSD stressed that such a “community-oriented” hub would fit perfectly in the Mansfield Woodhouse area because it “sits on an established local high street, is accessible to the public and is well-placed to serve young people from the surrounding neighbourhoods”.
It would employ five full-time members of staff and have eight parking spaces. No objections were received by the council from local residents.
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