Youth centre reopens after four week refurbishment
The Lordshill Youth Project, first established in 1999 as a collaboration between the local church, police, and Sainsbury's supermarket, reopened on February 10.
The project aims to provide a safe, enjoyable space for young people, with qualified youth workers offering guidance and support.
Over the years, the project has helped thousands of young people build positive relationships, raise aspirations, and gain access to education, employment, or life skills.
The centre was also a source of support during the Covid-19 pandemic, offering counselling services.
The project, which operates from the Zoe Braithwaite Centre in Lordshill, provides club-based sessions in partnership with Youth Options.
These sessions include a variety of activities, from crafts to sports, and even holiday clubs where young people learn to prepare and eat healthy food.
In the 2023-24 financial year alone, the project ran more than 1,100 sessions, offering a safe space for more than 200 young people.
Richard Poulter, managing director for Willmott Dixon Construction South said: "This project is about more than just refurbishing a building; it's about creating opportunities for young people and strengthening the community.
"Seeing our teams and supply chain partners come together to make a real difference is incredibly inspiring. Their generosity, combined with the dedication of our own people, ensures that we leave a lasting, positive impact on the lives of those who rely on this space."
Councillor Alex Winning, cabinet member for children and learning said: "We are incredibly grateful to Willmott Dixon and all of their sub-contractors for their expertise and support in helping to update the space so it can continue for the next 26 years."
The recent refurbishment was made possible by Willmott Dixon, a UK-based construction company.
After attending a Solent Careers Hub school-based activity, the company learned about the Lordshill project and decided to help.
Willmott Dixon mobilised its Southampton-based subcontractors to volunteer to refit the facility, providing new electrics, toilets, and a fitted kitchen to current safety standards.
They also repaired walls, cleaned gutters, and redecorated the centre, all funded by their Social Impact Fund.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
14 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Teen destination Claire's files for second bankruptcy in 7 years
Claire's, the shopping mall chain that sells flashy accessories to teens and tweens, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Wednesday amid shrinking margins and pressure from online competitors. It's the second bankruptcy filing in seven years for the chain, which was once the go-to destination for ear piercing and cheap jewelry. The Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based company has 15 locations in the Los Angeles area and more than 100 in California. In a news release Wednesday, the company said its retail locations in North America will remain open during the bankruptcy process. The company operates 2,750 stores in 17 countries as well as 190 locations in North America under its Icing label, according to its website. 'This decision is difficult, but a necessary one,' Claire's Chief Executive Chris Cramer said in a statement. 'Increased competition, consumer spending trends and the ongoing shift away from brick-and-mortar retail, in combination with our current debt obligations and macroeconomic factors, necessitate this course of action for Claire's and its stakeholders,' he said. The company will continue to explore strategic alternatives and is in discussions with potential financial partners, the release said. The bankruptcy filing comes three months after the company deferred interest payments due late next year on a $480-million loan. Claire's estimated the total value of both its assets and liabilities to be between $1 billion and $10 billion. When the private company first filed for bankruptcy protection in 2018, it offloaded $1.9 billion in debt and emerged with $575 million in new capital. The company's decline aligns with the decreasing popularity of malls in recent years. Claire's storefronts used to be a staple in shopping malls across the country, where teen girls could shop for colorful items such as hair clips, headbands and handbags. The stores were also a major destination for ear piercing services. 'Claire's is synonymous with the shopping mall,' said Dominick Miserandino, chief executive of Retail Tech Media Nexus. 'For the newer online generation, malls aren't on their radar in the same way.' Other mall-based chains, including Los Angeles-based Forever 21 and Foot Locker, filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this year. The crafts and fabric retailer Joann shut down its operations in February, and popular department store Macy's is in the process of closing 150 underperforming locations. Claire's has been squeezed by competition from low-cost online retailers such as Shein and Temu, and has attempted to keep up with major retailers such as Amazon by expanding beyond malls through a partnership with Walmart. Today's young shoppers do a lot of browsing online and look to social media influencers for the latest trends, rather than brick-and-mortar shops, experts said. 'The competition Claire's is seeing, mostly online, is better able to keep up with generation Alpha,' said Ray Wimer, a professor of retail practice at Syracuse University. Generation Alpha includes those born between 2010 and 2024. The company has also been hit by President Trump's steep tariffs, which affect much of the merchandise that Claire's sources from outside the United States. Cheap goods from China, Indonesia and Cambodia have become more expensive to import under the new taxes. 'Claire's has to decide if they're going to pass the cost of the tariffs onto consumers,' Wimer said. 'Their customers probably aren't willing to spend more.' Claire's was founded in 1961 as a chain of wig stores in the southern U.S. before merging with Chicago-based Claire's Boutiques. The company eventually rebranded as Claire's and became a symbol for kitschy fashion and girlhood by the early 2000s.
Los Angeles Times
14 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
NCP Coatings Acquires Glyptal, Expanding Reach in Electrical Insulating Systems and Automotive Engine Coatings
Century Park Capital Partners, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm, has announced that its portfolio company, NCP Coatings LLC, has acquired Glyptal Inc., a long-standing manufacturer of high-performance insulating enamel technologies serving the electrical and automotive sectors. This transaction marks NCP Coatings' first strategic acquisition since Century Park partnered with the company and represents a key step in a shared vision to build a leading platform in the industrial coatings space. The acquisition of Glyptal enhances NCP's product capabilities, expands its reach into complementary end markets and deepens its presence in the high-performance, specialty coatings segment. Doug Mattscheck, CEO of NCP Coatings, commented, 'Acquiring Glyptal is a meaningful and strategic step forward for NCP. Glyptal's legacy in the electrical coatings space aligns well with our vision to expand into specialty industrial segments where technical performance matters most. This acquisition complements our portfolio, extends our reach into new applications and signals our intent to continue scaling the business through technology-led growth. We're excited to welcome Glyptal into the NCP family.' Glyptal will continue to operate under its well-established brand, with operations and support functions being integrated into NCP Coatings' headquarters. The transition will be supported by Glyptal's existing ownership, which will remain involved during the integration period to ensure continuity. 'We are proud to support NCP Coatings in this highly strategic acquisition,' said Tony Trevino, partner at Century Park Capital Partners. 'Glyptal's specialized product offerings and long-standing customer relationships align perfectly with NCP's core strengths. This acquisition reinforces our commitment to investing in differentiated, technology-driven businesses with strong growth potential.' The former owners of Glyptal commented, 'After decades of serving our customers with products we deeply believe in, we're proud to transition Glyptal to NCP Coatings, a company with shared values of technical excellence and customer focus. We are confident they will continue to build on Glyptal's legacy and bring new opportunities to the brand and its customers.' Information sourced from Businesswire. Learn more by contacting mminnaugh@
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump claims Japan to import F-150s amid US tariff deal uncertainty
US President Donald Trump has reportedly said that Japan is set to begin importing Ford's F-150 pickup trucks, signalling a potential misunderstanding between the two nations regarding the specifics of a trade agreement proclaimed last month, according to Bloomberg. Tokyo's chief negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, embarked on a trip to Washington with the intention of urging the Trump administration to honour its commitment to lower tariffs on automobiles and auto parts to 15% from the current 27.5%. Akazawa told reporters, 'It's worth noting that the US-UK agreement took 54 days to be implemented,' when discussing the anticipated reduction in auto tariffs upon his arrival in Washington. Speaking of Japan in a phone interview broadcast by CNBC, Trump stated: 'They're taking our cars. They're taking the very beautiful Ford F-150, which does very well. And I'm sure we'll do very well there and other things that do very well here, will also do well there.' The trade deal between the nations has been shrouded in uncertainty, raising concerns in Japan about its execution, especially concerning autos. The Trump administration's narrative on trade agreements has frequently been at odds with that of its trade partners, leading to questions about the agreements' effectiveness. Currently, the US imposes a 27.5% tariff on Japanese autos, a figure that combines an earlier 2.5% rate with a new 25% introduced by Trump. Although a reduction to 15% would alleviate some pressure, this rate would still affect the sector that is central to the Japanese economy. Optimism in Asian markets was evident as Akazawa made his ninth visit to the US, with Japan's Topix Index climbing 1%, buoyed by gains from automakers such as Toyota Motor. A point of contention remains whether the proposed 15% tariff will be an additional charge on top of current tariffs or if all current levies will be standardised to 15%, marking another potential area of misunderstanding between the two countries' interpretations of the trade deal. Despite Akazawa's assertion that tariffs will be capped at 15% and not added to existing rates, a recent executive order suggested that the 15% reduction would only apply to the European Union, not to Japan. Trump has often expressed frustration over the lack of popularity of US cars in Japan, but many experts believe this is due to the absence of models suited to the Japanese market, rather than trade barriers. The Ford F-150 mentioned by Trump may limit its practicality on Japan's narrower roads, where many are less than four metres wide for two lanes, as per government data from 2012. In the CNBC interview, Trump likened the $550bn investment package agreed upon with Japan in the trade deal to a "signing bonus". However, the Japanese have clarified that only a small fraction of this amount will constitute actual investment, with the remainder being loans and loan guarantees. Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has stated that these investments, driven by private companies, will serve the interests of both countries. "Trump claims Japan to import F-150s amid US tariff deal uncertainty – report" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
