The Leader of the City of Wolverhampton Council has called into the city's Youth Zone and given the popular facility the thumbs up.

Councillor Ian Brookfield took a tour of The Way last night (Tuesday 16 July), meeting staff, children and young people and joining in some of the activities on offer.

The visit comes after the council demonstrated its ongoing support to The Way by announcing it will continue to contribute £200,000 per year towards the charity’s annual running costs between now and 2022.

The Way, based on School Street in the city centre, opened its doors in 2016, and receives more than 5,000 visits from local children and young people every month. 

It provides a wide range of activities to young people aged between eight and 19, or 25 for those with disabilities, and is also used by schools and community groups. To find out more about the activities on offer, and to become a member, please visit The Way

Councillor Brookfield, who has made a public commitment to invest more in services for the city's children and young people, said: "The Way is a fantastic facility for Wolverhampton and one which we should all be very proud to have in our city.

“It provides a huge range of activities for thousands of children and young people from all over Wolverhampton, including sport, fitness, dance, music, arts and self-improvement. It helps raise their aspirations, enhance their prospects and improve their health and wellbeing by keeping them active, entertained and educated.

"I was delighted to be invited down to see for myself the excellent work that the team at The Way does for our city's children and young people this week. There were literally hundreds of young people enjoying the facilities when I visited, taking part in cookery, arts, football, rock climbing and more."

The Way is also a key partner in Summer Squad, a programme coordinated by the City of Wolverhampton Council featuring hundreds of events and activities for children and young people taking place across Wolverhampton during the school holidays.

Summer Squad includes arts and crafts, holiday clubs, sports and games, family fun days, science workshops and much, much more. Most events are free, and parents, children and young people can see and book activities at #SummerSquad

Councillor Brookfield added: "I am delighted that The Way is a member of our Summer Squad and is offering a huge range of fantastic activities. Across the city, there's so much going on during the holidays that there’s sure to be something for everyone, no matter what you are interested in or where you live – please check out the website, #SummerSquad, to find out what’s happening."