After Kent County Council rejected our bids to secure Ramsgate Youth Centre during the asset of community value moratorium, we’ve been working hard behind the scenes to stop the disposal and delay the building from being listed for auction.
We have had confirmation that KCC will wait until after the local election (1st May) to put the building up for auction, giving us the opportunity to encourage a new administration to reconsider the decision to dispose of Ramsgate Youth Centre, safeguarding it for vital youth services and protecting its legacy.
We need your help to do this by writing to your local election candidates and asking them to pledge to reconsider the decision to dispose of Ramsgate Youth Centre should they be elected.
Write to your local Councillors:
Bryan Harrod (Labour) info@kentlabour.org.uk
Fi O’Connor (Green) thanetgreenparty@gmail.com
Amelia Randall (Reform) hernebayandsandwich@reformuk.com
Laurie Hudson (Labour) info@kentlabour.org.uk
Will Jarman (Green) thanetgreenparty@gmail.com
Cllr Phil Fellows (Conservative) contact@kentconservatives.org.uk
Luke Evans (Reform) info@kentlabour.org.uk
Charlie Leys (Conservative) contact@kentconservatives.org.uk
Peter Mousley (Labour) info@kentlabour.org.uk
Marc Rattigan (Conservative) contact@kentconservatives.org.uk
Barry Manners (Conservative) llr-barry.manners@thanet.gov.uk
Thea Barrett (Green) thanetgreenparty@gmail.com
Helen Whitehead (Labour) cllr-helen.whitehead@thanet.gov.uk
John Davis (Conservative) cllr-john.davis@thanet.gov.uk
Trevor Shonk (Reform) Trevor.Shonk@kent.gov.uk
Harry Goldfinch (Liberal Democrat) harrygoldfinch@gmail.com
Cllr Derek Crow-Brown (Conservative) Derek.Crow-Brown@kent.gov.uk
Jack Packman (Labour) cllr-jack.packman@thanet.gov.uk
Becky Wing (Green) cllr-rebecca.wing@thanet.gov.uk
Claire Hedderman (Labour) claire.hedderman@parliament.uk
Steve Roberts (Green) greensteveroberts@gmail.com
Lesley Game (Conservative) Lesley.Game@kent.gov.uk
Barry Lewis- Independent Barry.Lewis@kent.gov.uk
Mike Garner (Green) mayoralservices@broadstairs.gov.uk
Joanne Bright (Labour) cllr-joanne.bright@thanet.gov.uk
Deborah Holmes (Liberal Democrat)
Dr Mo Shafaei (Liberal Democrat)
Matthew Brown (Liberal Democrat)
Claire Goldfinch(Liberal Democrat)
Rachel Mummery – (Liberal Democrat)
Jeremy de Rose (Liberal Democrat)
Read more about the candidates in this article.
Here’s why we believe disposing of the youth centre won’t save the council any money:
- Young people spend 85% of their waking hours outside of school (YMCA and National Youth Agency Time’s Running Out report 2021 – without dedicated spaces to go to young people are vulnerable to grooming, crime, social isolation and anti-social behaviour.
- Youth work saves £500 million on public spending through crime reduction. £1 investment in youth work is estimated to return £3.20 – £6.40 of social value (UK Youth and Frontier Economics: Economic Value of Youth Work report 2022).
- Demand for mental health support has skyrocketed by 82% (National Youth Sector Census 2024) – youth services provide vital preventative intervention: 30% of young people felt more self-confident, 22% felt less isolated; 25% had decreased stress levels, 24% said it helped improve their mental health (YMCA and NYA Time’s Running Out 2021)
We are still hopeful that together we can Save Our Youth Centre! But regardless of what happens with our building, Pie will survive, and we will continue to be there for the young people of Thanet. We aren’t going anywhere.
Youth services like ours show young people they are worthy, that they are amazing and they contribute so much to our community and society as a whole. They can do so much if they’re given the right tools, opportunities and support. But they can’t just be left and that’s what is happening. I spoke to Strange Tourist in more detail about this.
Thank you as ever your ongoing support 🙏
Zoë
Pie Factory Music CEO