Youth Center Opens in North Belfast

0:00Stay informed with Europe News today, AI-powered updates. I'm Corey with The Story. Work kicked off on a 3.4 million-pound U-Center right on the old Ardoin shop site along Crumlin Road in North Belfast. First Minister Michelle O'Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little Pingelli marked the start by cutting the first side at this shared hub in a key, Interface Zone. Belfast City Council leads the build, pulling funding from the Executive Office, Department for Communities, the Cloth Workers Foundation, Garfield, Weston Foundation, and the Council itself. Ardoin youth enterprise steps in to run the place, targeting young folks from Ardoin, Merrill Bohn, Woodvale, and Old Park areas, leaders hailed it as a game changer, turning a long vacant spot into real opportunity amid the area's history of flashpoint clashes. They stressed how it will foster learning, support, and cross-community ties for families in North Belfast. The setup packs in digital learning studios, creative spaces, offices, meeting rooms, and

1:03hangout zones for youth programs, training, and counseling. Officials expect the full facility ready by March 2027. This move spotlights vision turning empty lots into lifelines, boosting local youth across divides with skills and safe spaces that last.