Youth centre hopes £535,000 grant will secure future
Phil Harrison/BBCA youth centre could have its future secured after a grass-roots body earmarked funding worth over half-a-million pounds.
In October 2024, Ramsgate Youth Centre, the home of youth charity Pie Factory Music, said it was making a "last ditch" attempt to save its headquarters after Kent County Council (KCC) announced its intention to sell the site to balance its budget.
Now the Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board is hoping a £535,000 grant from the government's Pride in Place Programme can help the charity secure freehold ownership of the site.
Zoë Carassik, CEO of Pie Factory Music, says the decision is a "major milestone" in its campaign to save the site, but "there is more work to do".
The CEO said she "couldn't be more grateful".
"We're not quite there yet," she added.
"But this is a hugely hopeful moment for the future of Ramsgate Youth Centre and Pie Factory Music."
Phil Harrison/BBCBrian Horton, the interim chair of the Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board, said Pie Factory Music was the only dedicated youth centre in Thanet.
He said: "The vision for Ramsgate is clear, 'not striving but thriving', and you cannot thrive if your young people feel left behind."
The board says the entire process must be completed by the end of January 2026.
As the official Pride in Place Programme capital allocations are not due until April 2026, funding from Thanet District Council's (TDC) could bridge the gap, if approved by its cabinet.
Pie Factory Music will also need to agree to the grant conditions, which includes a requirement to maintain the site in good condition.
The board said it was working closing with TDC and the charity, which had served the community since 1969, to meet deadlines.
KCC said: "We welcome this development. Our teams will always work constructively with any party that wishes to express an interest in one of our surplus buildings."
Two bids to purchase the site were turned down earlier in the year.
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