Worksop: Young people's charity needs your help to secure share of £100,000 funding prize

The charity, based on Abbey Street in Worksop, has been announced as a finalist after beating over 1,800 nominated projects as part of a national competition- and now needs votes to secure a share of the £100,000 regional prize fund.

If successful, The Centre Place will be awarded funding for building materials from builders’ merchants Jewson as part of the Building Better Communities programme- helping to turn its young people’s centre into a warm, inviting and efficient space for the whole community to enjoy.

The Centre Place assists struggling youngsters in the area by providing preventative services that relieve homelessness, poverty and distress, along with advance education sessions and encouraging lifestyle changes.

The charity has been in operation for over twenty years- and during that time has gained a successful track record of engaging and supporting the most vulnerable and hard to reach young people within Worksop and across the district.

The Centre Place supports approximately 500 young people each year through their range of services, such as its young parents group, counselling and LGBT support.

Michelle Sayer, senior project manager, said: “Getting shortlisted out of 1,800 projects is such a great achievement and really highlights the fantastic work we do. “By winning the Building Better Communities competition, we will be able to make the building more accessible, environmentally friendly, practical and comfortable for all our users.

“Working at the Centre Place is so rewarding. We have young people tell us every day that without our support they would have ended up on the streets or even committed suicide.

“But the building we operate from is old and falling apart, to be honest, and needs a makeover.

“That’s why we need all the residents of Bassetlaw to get behind us and vote so that we can continue to improve lives in our community.”

David Fenton, marketing director at Jewson, said: “Supporting the communities where we live and work is so important to us, and hearing the heartwarming tales of some of last year’s projects motivated us to do even more to help boost community spirit up and down the UK.

“By more than doubling the prize fund to a quarter of a million pounds, we’re giving people the chance to transform the community projects and initiatives that are close to their hearts. Now people have the opportunity to vote online via Facebook for their favorite causes, and make a difference to local communities.”

People have until Sunday, June 19 to vote for the Centre Place. Votes can be cast via the Jewson Facebook page at www.facebook.com/jewsonuk