Campaign to raise Mr Smith's from the ashes

A Campaign has been launched to help raise the iconic Mr Smith’s building which was destroyed by fire from the ashes to create a Youth Zone.
The Warrington Youth Zone team is calling for the public to offer their support and donate to the campaign to SAVE the Youth Zone, in an appeal which is being backed by warrington-worldwide to find the £500k additional funding to build a new youth facility.
Following the devastating fire at the iconic Mr Smith’s building in the early hours of last Tuesday 14th April 2015, the Warrington Youth Zone team have come together determined to still make Warrington Youth Zone a reality for the Borough’s young people.
Warrington Borough Council, Warrington Youth Club, Newton-based soft drinks company Vimto, Pervaiz Naviede Family and OnSide Youth Zones have united in their commitment to ensure a state-of-the-art Youth Zone will open, ideally on the iconic landmark site of Mr Smith’s, despite the shocking damage caused in the recent fire.
With the iconic Mr Smith’s building now demolished, it can no longer be home to the Youth Zone, however there is light at the end of the tunnel, as OnSide confirms it would still like to proceed and now build a brand new facility on the site.
Kathryn Morley, Chief Executive at OnSide Youth Zones said: “We’re still in shock at the devastation caused, we were all so excited about how well the Youth Zones plans were progressing. A Youth Zone in Warrington is a fantastic opportunity for local young people to have access to an amazing facility that will help them reach their full potential.
“Our determination to make the Youth Zone happen is still as strong as ever, if not stronger now. We must make this happen for the Borough’s young people. Developing a new facility in keeping with the much-loved spirit of Mr Smith’s would be the perfect way to do this now, in light of recent events.
“However we can’t do it alone, we know how much this building was loved by the local community and we now need everyone to come together and pledge their support to make the Youth Zone a reality.”
Whilst Vimto has pledged its support for a new Youth Zone, the loss of the building has incurred an additional construction cost of £500k, as the facility will now need to be built from scratch.
Nick Hopkinson MBE Chairman of Warrington Youth Club added: “Our mission is to give the young people of Warrington a place to go where they can be safe, learn new skills, be inspired to reach their potential and that is an alternative to hanging around the streets. To make this a reality we need to nurture the partnership between the community, local business and the council. Working together we can make the Youth Zone dream a reality.
“Raising funds is critical to our success and every pound raised in this appeal will be kept safe and used for the development of a new facility on the Mr Smith’s site or if that’s not possible on an alternative. On behalf of all the young people who will benefit and all the volunteers currently involved from the club, we are very grateful and humbled by the level of support we are getting… THANK YOU so much.”
Dave McNicholl, Chief Executive of Warrington Youth Club stated: “We are devastated at the loss of this iconic building, which we have been working with Warrington Borough Council, Nichols Plc, OnSide and the Pervaiz Naviede Family Trust, to give Mr Smiths a new lease of life as a Youth Zone.
“Whilst the building may have gone, the drive and focus on providing the highest quality opportunities for our young people is still as strong. However to make these plans a reality we need the support of the wider Warrington Community to help us in whatever way possible including money, skills, volunteering. The Youth Zone will be a fantastic resource for Warrington and for children and young people both now and for many future generations, please help us to help our young people.”
Steve Broomhead, Chief Executive of Warrington Borough Council added: ‘’The provision of a Youth Zone remains under active consideration for the young people of Warrington and the Council therefore looks forward to exploring all options for the future.”
A representative from Vimto added: “We are shocked and saddened to see the Mr Smith’s building go up in flames, however we are still keen to support the creation of a Youth Zone in Warrington, ideally on the site of where Mr Smith’s stood.”
A spokesperson for The Pervaiz Naviede Family Trust said: “We are greatly saddened to see the remaining parts of the iconic Mr Smith’s building demolished following this devastating fire. We are currently assessing options for the site and would be thrilled if plans to develop it into a new Youth Zone come into fruition.”
Details for how to donate click here: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fund/helpsavewarringtonyouthzone