Middleport to get new youth venue to replace fire-hit pavilion

A park pavilion that was badly damaged in a fire is set to be replaced by a building for youth activities.

Last June, more than half the roof of the building in Middleport Park, Stoke-on-Trent, was destroyed.

Now, Middleport Matters Community Trust is set to replace the pavilion after being granted about £413,000 in government funding.

Vicki Gwynne, the group's operations manager, said young people were helping create the new venue.

Its youth forum would "have a hand in everything to do with the design of it", including picking tiles and interior colours, she said.

The trust applied for a Youth Investment Fund grant and was successful earlier this year.

Ms Gwynne said as well as replacing the building, the funding would pay for one and half youth worker posts for 12 months so it could hold activities up to six days a week.

"It's enough to demolish and rebuild and the young people have been involved in the design of the building and what they want to see there, so that's lovely," said Ms Gwynne.

She said the tender had gone out and expected work to start in April.

"It will be done for the summer holidays, 16 weeks from start to finish hopefully," she said.

The building would be "much more in keeping with the park" and be secure with shutters that come down at night.

It would be "very open with lots of glass when we are there in the day so it will be lovely to look out over the canal and the green of the park as well," Ms Gwynne added.

It will include accessible toilets and a small outside area.

The trust has been working with Stoke-on-Trent City Council on the project, and was also awarded £50,000 from the authority's Community Investment Fund.

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