To mark the occasion a special awards ceremony was held to give recognition to the individual achievements of The Hive’s young members and the impact it has had on their self-confidence

The red carpet was rolled out at Wirral youth facility The Hive as hundreds of young people gathered with parents, youth workers and volunteers to celebrate the centre’s first birthday.

To mark the occasion a special awards ceremony was held to give recognition to the individual achievements of The Hive’s young members. The event highlighted the impact The Hive has had on the self-confidence, ambitions and prospects of young people from across the Wirral.

They have benefitted from the Youth Zone’s broad array of arts, sports and social activities, along with its leadership programmes, mentoring and employment and enterprise courses.

Having opened in April 2017 with the aim of providing young people on Wirral with somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to, The Hive now caters to thousands of members, aged between eight and 19, and up to 25 for those with disabilities and is backed by a number of local businesses.

Since launch it has clocked up more than 80,000 visits from young people and has provided more than 2,000 hours of open access youth work. The Hive’s army of volunteers, sourced from across the borough have, so far, given almost 12,000 hours of time – worth in excess £100,000, to help deliver the facility’s offering to young people alongside its dedicated team of youth workers.

Located in Birkenhead and part of the Onside Youth Zones network, The Hive has already had a positive impact on anti-social behaviour, which has been recognised by local shop-keepers and the police.

Stuart Barnes, chief executive at The Hive said: “It has been a tremendous first year for us, having exceeded all aims and expectations that we set out with back in 2017. In just one year, The Hive has become a model of voluntary and private sector collaboration, exerting a positive influence on its Members, supporters and the wider community too.

“We know that The Hive, which is 50% funded by local businesses, 40% funded by the local authority and 10% funded by membership fees, is achieving what it set out to do and providing vital services for Wirral’s young generation.”