Merchant Venturers' £46,000 Boost for Bristol Youth Project - World Class Creative Youth Hub Takes Shape

The Society of Merchant Venturers has donated £46,000 to a groundbreaking project for young people in Bristol, which will be one of the biggest and most important of its kind in the UK.

Led by the Creative Youth Network, The Station project involves transforming the derelict Old Fire Station on Bridewell Island into a creative hub for young people from across Bristol. This will comprise state of the art facilities, including music studios, a media editing suite and an all-inclusive support network, when it opens in October.

The Merchants' grant will fund an outreach worker for two years. This role will focus on forging links between The Station and local youth clubs and schools, ensuring that young people from across Bristol can benefit from The Station's facilities. The Station has also received funding from the National Lottery and Bristol City Council.

David Marsh, Master of the Society of Merchant Venturers said: "The Station is an enormously important project for Bristol and it will be one of the biggest and most inspiring centres of its type in the UK.  It will use creative achievement and personal involvement in the arts to increase opportunities and broaden the horizons of young people.

"Among the core objectives for the Merchant Venturers are to improve the well-being of young people in greater Bristol and to support educational and self-improvement opportunities. The Station presents an important opportunity to meet these aims. 

"The Station is designed to give all young people, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, the personal skills and confidence to realise their potential.The Station will be a focus for personal development. It is both an incredibly worthwhile initiative and one the Merchants are proud to support."

The Station will provide counselling and career guidance alongside arts workshops, dance studios, a 250-seat theatre and a café. Young people will also have access to some of Bristol's most inspiring people and organisations including the BBC, Aardman Animations and the Bristol Old Vic.

Sandy Hore-Ruthven, CEO of Creative Youth Network, said: "In the current difficult economic climate, the pressures on young people can be enormous and many need all the support we can give them. It is encouraging to see organisations like the Society of Merchant Venturers supporting The Station, helping it to become a firm fixture in Bristol's youth culture.

"We are continually looking for funds for the Station and this investment by the Merchant Venturers is vital to making The Station work and  inspiring young people, creating a safe, neutral place and giving them the best opportunities whatever their background."

For further information visit www.thestationbristol.org.uk

To find out more about the Society of Merchants Venturers, its members and key priorities visit www.merchantventurers.com