Youth facility used by hundreds of young people – visit The Haven Centre this Summer holiday

Why not come to The Haven Centre on Osborne Street, Grimsby, where there are plenty of activities and facilities on offer including topics like education, sexual health, mental health and substance misuse.

Funded by the Office of the Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner, UK Shared Prosperity Funding, Activation Funding from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and youth crime grant funding through the Youth Justice Board.

Since it’s opening in December 2023, the centre has seen hundreds of young people come through its doors, utilising the facilities on offer. Between January 1 and March 31 2024, there were 181 individual young people, who used it 474 times.

The centre has been used by many groups since it’s opening including Fusion, Trin as well as drug and alcohol support organisation We Are With You.

Inside are a range of rooms including a sexual health consultation room; a counselling room; a play room with beanbags and table football as well as a number of offices for Youth Workers.

Haven is open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from6.30pm to 9.30pm and from 2pm to 6pm on Saturdays. However, drop-in sessions can be held throughout the day.

However, The Haven Centre is not in isolation, it’s one of five elements of the ‘Safer Streets’ programme focusing on Grimsby Town centre. One of the other five parts includes the Days of Action which have been held throughout this year to help tackle issues like Anti-Social Behaviour in the town.

Paul Caswell, Safer Towns and Communities Service Manager said: “The Haven centre in the middle of Grimsby Town was the idea of officers within the Council and local business owners. It was developed to give young people somewhere to go and something to do.

“The centre was funded through a number of income streams and was the vision of one of our amazing youth workers. Fast forward six months and it is a vibrant youth hub offering young people a safe haven and somewhere to hang out with their friends.”

Designed as a short-term project, the centre will continue to offer a youth provision in the interim between now and the new Horizon Youth Zone being built on Garth Lane.

He added: “The centre is very much needed as the Horizon Youth Zone is at least a year away from opening. The young people have embraced the concept of a town centre hub and the open sessions are always full of young people engaging with the youth work staff and those of other specialist support services.”