Penlan

New Penlan ‘pop-up’ youth club is ninth to launch in Swansea

Published

4 months ago

26th January 2022

Editor

The number of pop-up youth clubs in Swansea is continuing to expand with another opening in Penlan next week.

It will be the ninth to launch as Swansea Council’s youth services, called Evolve, reaches more and more young people.

Evolve has teamed up with Freedom Leisure, who run Penlan Leisure Centre, for the initiative.

It will be held between 7pm and 9pm every Thursday from February 3 at the centre and is for 11 to 17-year-olds.

Places need to be booked in advance and activities are set to include table tennis, basketball, Nintendo and PlayStation, arts and crafts, access to the centre’s gym and lots more.

Evolve runs youth clubs in Blaenymaes, Townhill , Gorseinon , Brynhyfryd and Llansamlet.

In recent months the service has responded to requests for provision in other communities by working with partners to establish nine pop-up clubs in other areas including Mayhill and Clase and now Penlan.

Elliott King, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “While the clubs were closed due to coronavirus restrictions youth workers were about meeting young people in places where they usually gather and during the pandemic they engaged with 3,000 more young people than the previous year.

“This change in the way our youth team works has meant they’ve been able to meet many more young people, including those who may never have attended a youth club but benefitted from engaging with the youth service in their community.

“Going forward the intention is to continue this while also keeping our youth clubs that are very popular and via pop-up clubs.

“I’m very pleased that we are opening another of these in Penlan and I’d like to thank Freedom Leisure for their support with this.

“In Swansea we want to make sure that young people have access to the right support at the right time, from people they trust, in a place that is safe for them.”

Jim Kelly, General Manager of Penlan Leisure Centre, said: “We’re really pleased to be working with Swansea Council to provide opportunities for the young people in our community to meet and engage with each other.

“Penlan Leisure Centre sits at the heart of the community and we look forward to welcoming young people in the area to our facility.”

The centre’s assistant manager Jon Parry added: “I’m a local boy and understand the social aspects of our community. We know and love our community and we want to give our everyone the best opportunity to use the leisure centre and benefit from it.”

You can book a place at the Penlan Youth Club online.

(Lead image: Swansea Council)

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Education

More than 500 pupils to move into new Swansea school next week

Published

7 months ago

28th October 2021

Editor

More than 500 pupils are getting ready to move to a new home when they return to school next week after the half-term break.

The £11.5m new build for Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Tirdeunaw has been completed and will open on Wednesday.

The two-storey state-of-the-art development has been jointly funded by Swansea Council and the Welsh Government and is the latest project to be completed under the 21^st Century Schools and Colleges programme.

It is part of a £170m in new school buildings and facilities.

Swansea Council Leader Rob Stewart visited the new build next to Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bryn Tawe in Penlan to see finishing touches being made.

He said: “It’s an amazing facility and I think pupils and staff will be overjoyed when they move in next week.

“The contractors Morgan Sindall have done a wonderful job in creating this brand new school which really is state-of-the-art.

“It is of course part of a bigger story that is the largest investment in school buildings and facilities that this city has ever seen.

“This will ensure that thousands of children have the best education facilities that they could possible want.”

**Inside the new Tirdeunaw school** (Image: Swansea Council)

YGG Tirdeunaw is currently based next to the former Daniel James secondary school site at Heol Ddu but the old buildings are no longer suitable.

The new build, which is less than a mile from the current site and is also more central to the majority of current pupils attending, will provide places for 525 full-time pupils and 75 nursery places along with a Flying Start/Dechrau Deg’ initiative.

Morgan Sindall worked safely during the pandemic to deliver the school and as part of the wider community benefit also carried out improvements to the two community centres in Penlan.

Headteacher Jackie James said: “I’d like to thank all the teams involved with this amazing project, especially Swansea Council and the Welsh Government for providing the funding.

“The building and facilities have been designed by the architect Powell Dobson and Morgan Sindall have ensured that the vision has been achieved.

“We will now be able to offer pupils the very best facilities and I know they are very excited to be coming to a new home for our school.

“The design, layout and facilities at the school will enable us to provide fantastic opportunities for the wellbeing and learning which will support the delivery of the new curriculum. This without a doubt will inspire our pupils to achieve and flourish.”

(Lead image: Swansea Council)