King’s Lynn Family Centre
26 November 2024
Project Manager Contact: mick@teamviy.com
Youth Engagement Contact: jojo@teamviy.com
Project Overview
The project involves rebuilding a leaking shelter to improve its functionality, securing a timber handrail on a ramp for safety, constructing two timber play walls, and providing protective covers for tire sandpits. These enhancements will create safer and more versatile play areas, expand activity options, and increase usability in wet conditions, ultimately supporting the venue’s appeal and promoting its family-centred offerings.
The venue serves as a family centre providing childcare and various activities/classes for young children.
Exhall Cricket Club
14 September 2024
Hull Road Park
26 November 2024
Project Manager Contact: darren@teamviy.com
Youth Engagement Contact: gemma@teamviy.com
Project Overview
VIY will be creating woodland paths and repairing timber planters and composting units to improve access for disabled users and other park visitors, while encouraging community groups to use growing areas and recycling green waste onsite.
Plumstead Darts Hall
12 November 2024
For project info contact: graham@teamviy.com
Strood Boxing Club
23 October 2024
Strood Boxing Club was founded 17 years ago to support a deprived community, to provide a safe, affordable space for individuals aged 8-40 to learn boxing, gain confidence, and access new opportunities. Refuse collector by day, gym owner/coach by night, Chris Ripley has built a community to be proud of at his club.
This is our second project funded by Medway Council through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, following our previous project at Anchorians Sports Club – all helping to boost pride in place in Medway.
The project:
VIY has refurbished the gym by fixing and reboarding a bowing ceiling to boost warmth and safety repairing walls, doors, and ceilings, and refreshing both the interior and exterior to create a more welcoming environment. These improvements aim to attract more members, particularly women, while helping the club continue its vital work of mentoring and empowering the local community.
The impact:
- A club transformed boosted from a makeshift, grassroots space into a more welcoming, inclusive and professional space – boosted to help even more local young people and in particular, help to welcome more young women into boxing
- 18 NEET/at risk young people took part in the project, referred from local youth referral partners including DOMEG, the looked after team at Kent County Council, Medway 16+ leaving care team, Nacro – Medway & The Rowans Alternative Provision
- 15 gained a City & Guilds Entry Level 3 accreditation in Painting & Decorating or Health & Safety
- Chris Ripley, Owner at Strood Boxing Club told us: “Huge thank you to VIY and all your team, we really do appreciate everything you have done for our little club. Our community was a desperately deprived estate – nothing for the kids was available without costing a small fortune. I have been involved in the art of boxing since the age of seven and searched for the opportunity to help my community and help education towards the sport and benefits it give a individual. From day one it was needed and over the years we have helped not only keep the kids of the street but put them on the right path for later on, helping with employment opportunities and support for the mothers of our boxers too.”
- Local Active Partnership Active Kent also visited the project and told us: “It was a real pleasure to visit the project at Strood ABC. Getting to meet the young people working on the project and seeing first-hand the impact these projects have, not only for the improvement of local venues but also for the development of the young people working on them.”
About the UK Shared Prosperity Fund
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus
North Lynn Family Centre
26 November 2024
Project Manager Contact: mick@teamviy.com
Youth Engagement Contact: jojo@teamviy.com
Project Overview
The work of this project will involve creating four covered canopies over external doors and building timber planters adjacent to the entrance, with all areas to be decorated. These shelters are essential, as currently, visitors have to wait outside in all weather conditions to collect children, due to safeguarding policies. The new planters will brighten the entrance and provide young children with an opportunity to engage practically with nature. The venue is a family centre that hosts various groups and activities for children.
P.O.W Nottingham
17 December 2024
Project Manager Contact: rachel@teamviy.com
The P.O.W project involves painting and decorating communal areas, renovating a therapy room, installing kitchen units, and decorating the kitchen space.
Open House Birmingham
14 September 2024
Project contact: jordan@teamviy.com
The Place
30 January 2025
Project Manager Contact: danny@teamviy.com
Project Overview
Based at Sanderson Community House, The Place offers activities for children, young people, and adults in the local area. VIY is transforming two disused upstairs rooms by painting them in warm, welcoming colours to create an inviting space for teenagers. The project aims to provide a safe environment where local teens can gather, socialize, and explore their creativity – whether through art workshops or gaming sessions with friends.
Inclusion Ventures
17 December 2024
Project Manager Contact: mick@teamviy.com
At Inclusion Ventures, work will focus on making the entrance more welcoming, fitting out a new sensory room and general painting and decorating throughout. The venue supports 400+ local young people every month.
