'We simply could not have done this without their help' - Wolverhampton Youth Zone gets crucial grant to allow newly-upgraded café to stay open
The Way Youth Zone has been saved from closing its café after receiving a significant grant from Enovert Community Trust.
The £5,900 grant, provided through the Landfill Communities Fund (LCF), means the Wolverhampton youth zone has been spared significant unplanned expenditure and saved from the threat of closing its recently-upgraded café.
in 2023, as part of its mission to improve young people’s lives, The Way completed an ambitious project to offer free hot meals every evening, which for some of its young people is the only hot meal they receive that day.
To make this possible, its kitchen was upgraded to serve a wider range of nutritious meals, but after a change in insurance requirements the kitchen required a fire suppression system, a mandatory part of kitchen hood construction.
If not installed, The Way would not be able to get insurance for fire risk and would be forced to close the café as a community resource for children, young people, families, carers and community members.
Rob Smith, facilities manager at The Way, said: “Thanks to the generous support of Enovert Community Trust, we were able to make a vital upgrade to our fire safety system to meet new insurance regulations.
"This included the installation of a new ‘Ansul’ fire suppression system, designed to automatically extinguish fires over the cooking area and shut off the fuel supply to the equipment.
“This essential upgrade means we can continue providing safe, nutritious meals to our young people—something we simply could not have done without Enovert’s help.”
Angela Haymonds, trust manager of Enovert Community Trust, said: “Having previously supported Wolverhampton Youth Zone by part-funding the renovation of its café, the trust was very keen to make sure the café was able to operate as originally intended.
"Providing the grant for the fire suppression system will enable the café to stay open and continue to provide an extremely valuable service to the local community, which the Trust is proud to be associated with.”
The Way, based in School Street, Wolverhampton, is a youth charity that provides a wide range of activities, from art to basketball and everything in between, with the aim to inspire, engage, and support its members.
Many local groups use the facility, including Reflexions, Reflexions Wolverhampton, Wolves Foundation, Yo! Wolves, Wolverhampton Young Carers and the Young People’s Social Prescribing Service.
