Tokko youth centre has been awarded a transformational Youth Investment Fund grant to renovate and expand its offer to young people in Luton. It is very welcome news for young people supported by Tokko and means that Tokko will be able to support another 100 young people every week when the project is complete.

Tokko youth centre is based in the heart of Luton and helps young people to develop and find their space in the community. Tokko supports a diverse and vulnerable group of young people. The youth centre is in a deprived area where anti-social behaviour, knife crime and gang culture are high. Young people are at risk of exploitation, and it is hard for them to find a place a safety where they can thrive and explore their passions.

Tokko youth centre opened in 2013, and has a strong track record of delivering life-changing youth work, but its building is crying out for renovation to open up the space, and make it sustainable and accessible so every young person has a chance to thrive.

Now a Youth Investment Fund grant of over £1.3 million will transform their youth offer, increase its space, make their building more sustainable and accessible. It will also pay for a new area as a green space to enable young people to connect with the outdoors in a safe way.

The Youth Investment Fund is funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and is delivered by Social Investment Business in partnership with Key Fund, National Youth Agency, and Resonance. The Youth Investment Fund is part of the Government’s National Youth Guarantee to transform and level up opportunities for young people in England.

Welcoming the Youth Investment Fund grant, Aimee Djengiz, CEO, said ‘’The Youth Investment Fund will allow us to truly enhance our offer to young people experiencing disadvantage, through activities that improve health and wellbeing, explore identity and rights and encourage friendships and having fun’’.

The funding will help Tokko to re-repurpose the existing 5-floor building in Luton to better cater to the needs of vulnerable and disadvantaged young people. Opening its space up will also enable Tokko to increase its partnerships with statutory and voluntary services right across the community. Some of the new developments and features include:

• Enhanced safety and security: The re-designed centre will be safe and secure, with the ground floor reception area having a fully functional security and entry system, ensuring the safety and welcome of young people and staff.
• Digital Hub: Young people will benefit from access to digital tools, including laptops, big screens, play stations and all other kinds of gaming equipment.
• New kitchen: A newly designed accessible modern kitchen will be a learning space for young people to hone their culinary skills. Making the kitchen and every space accessible is vital so that no young person is excluded.
• A gym: An existing space will become a gym facility to support young people’s physical health and wellbeing. The gym will also be an attractive space that other local schools, youth projects and partners can use.
• Roof top green space: There is a real lack of green spaces in the town, but Tokko’s roof terrace will soon become a dynamic green space with an inspiring view right across the city. It will be a place for quiet contemplation, art, and a space for creating greater awareness of the environment.

With their Youth Investment Fund grant secured, the team can quickly progress its transformation. Tokko plans to complete the building works by October 2024. It will make Tokko a safe and vibrant community hub in the heart of the town. And young people will not miss out while the build is in progress. The plan is to work floor by floor, to ensure that day-to-day youth activities can continue, and young people will still have somewhere safe and fun to go.