Shropshire Youth Association bids fond farewell to HQ with leaving party
There were mixed emotions at a special party to mark a county charity saying goodbye to its headquarters ahead of demolition and the construction of a £1.5m state-of-the-art building in its place.
SYA – All About Youth closed a chapter of its life as it welcomed friends and dignitaries to a symbolic occasion which marked an end for the building which has served the charity so well over a number of years.
But there was also plenty of excitement as those present celebrated the ongoing success of the charity and looked forward to seeing the new building on the existing site in Upton Lane, Shrewsbury. Demolition of the old headquarters is due to start in October.
Donna Leeding, chair of trustees at SYA, said: “Our leaving party was an excellent way to mark the end of the road for our headquarters. We would like to thank all those people who came along on the day.
“It gave the opportunity for people to share their stories and memories of SYA – some of whom have benefitted from the amazing services we have provided and will continue to provide as a charity, while others have been involved in delivering those services to so many over the years.
“We were delighted to show visitors around the building and explain some of the exciting plans we have moving forward which will impact positively on the children and young people across Shropshire.
“It was a fantastic opportunity to engage with the local community and so many people who have been involved with SYA. We had business people attend, representatives from schools and corporates along with past and present supporters of our charity.
“Some of the trustees and staff were on hand, along with the High Sheriff Mandy Thorn and deputy mayor of Shrewsbury, Councillor David Vasmer, to meet and greet visitors and we had some of our young people available to talk about the difference SYA has made to their lives.
“It is now all about the future and we can’t wait for work to begin on our new £1.5m home. It is a proud moment for us and we are looking forward to welcoming everyone back to an opening ceremony when the work is completed.
“In the meantime we will carry on as usual during the rebuild with all our services continuing and being unaffected.”
Claire Percell, fundraising manager at SYA said: "It went very well and it was very well-attended. It was a nice mix of people and most importantly some of our young people were here.
"Staff, past and present, were here as well as potential funders and people who support us in other ways and the Rapid Relief team who did a barbecue for us were amazing – and it was a really impressive set-up."
On the subject of leaving the site, Claire added: "It's a bit of a mixed bag because some people who have worked here a long time have emotional ties to the building - but others are really excited about the new building.
"The new building gives young people a place which feels special to them and provided for them and it will feel like it's their space."
SYA is planning to bring everyone back for a grand opening ceremony once the new HQ has been built. They hope this will be around Easter next year.
SYA - All About Youth, runs youth clubs, groups and projects for young people and supporting voluntary groups across the county.
The charity has received the £1.5 million grant for its new building from the Youth Investment Fund.
To register interest in attending SYA - All About Youth’s leaving party, call 01743 730005 or email info@sya.org.uk.
