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New education and community centre opens for taster sessions

Posted on 30 October 2023

A new education and community space, offering residents of Westfield fair access to new opportunities has opened for taster sessions.

The Place will be open for drop-ins for the first time since renovation works began in the summer

The venue for the new initiative, called The Place, was approved by councillors in June this year, when the City of York Council agreed to lease Sanderson House to the University of York for a five-year period. 

Following a renovation project over the summer, The Place opened to the local community on Monday, 30 October for a series of drop-in sessions, including art and craft workshops, physical fitness activities and to give residents the opportunity to look around the new space and ask any questions they might have from the team.

A regular programme of activities will be announced in the New Year with an official launch of the centre expected to take place in spring 2024. 

Schools

Led by the University of York, in partnership with Westfield Primary Community School and York High School, the centre will open Monday to Friday, 50 weeks of the year for a range of study and play activities, as well as dedicated time to support adults in the community.

After meeting with several schools in the area to understand the challenges they face, the centre team looked to co-create programmes of learning to reduce gaps in educational attainment and help young people progress through the education system to achieve their goals and future ambitions.  

New-look centre

Rebecca Clark, Head of Access and Outreach at the University of York, said: “Over the summer we have been working with the local community to decide on a new look for the centre, giving Sanderson House a new lease of life, as well as working together to develop the programmes and activities that will both inform and entertain people across a range of age groups.

“We have had such positive and constructive feedback so far and this period before Christmas will give us a chance to see the community reaction to the ‘new look’ centre and gather more thoughts on how local residents want the space to be used going into the new year.  

“We are looking forward to 2024 when we will announce a full and regular programme of activities that residents can book onto, which also includes sessions for local school groups, as well as an official launch in the spring to thank our donors, the city council, and of course the community for their support in making The Place possible.”

For more information on the The Place and to join the mailing list for regular updates, visit the website: https://theplace.york.ac.uk/home

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