Our History

2 Years Post Storm Desmond

Desmond’s Diner opens in it’s new position – the first floor. The Launch showcased some of the talent discovered and nurtured through the Xpressions Music Project. There weren’t many dry eyes in the house!

2017 Highlights

• Accolade of winning another award – The Best Place to Work at the 2017 Carlisle Living Awards.
• CYZ hosted the Onside Presidents Cup  – a opportunity for young people from all Youth Zones to come together and celebrate Sport, Art, Dance and Youth Zone’s in general. It was obviously the best presidents cup to date!
• Partnership with Beaumont College began and saw them moving into the CYZ building with their students.
• Most successful Raceday to date- raising over £25k for CYZ.
• Won the Xpressions Music Project – which was a public vote. Saw CYZ transform the music studio.
• Opened Desmond’s Diner – now serving food again from it’s new home on the first floor.

1 year post Storm Desmond

The ground floor is just being finished off, with a newly moved entrance and new measures in place to protect the building should it ever be flooded again. It’s not finished yet though – the first floor now needs the work! Among the rooms opened was a brand new amazing sensory room as well as new meeting rooms and new reception area.

2016 Highlights

• Awarded Best Team at the Carlisle Living Awards
• Get  A Future Project launched with Armstrong Watson  – a project aimed to raise the aspirations of young people across Carlisle.
• Awarded £100,000 from the Queens Trust – for investment  and only to be used should another disaster should ever strike CYZ.
• Awarded Prince of Wales Trust donation for the work being undertaken with young people throughout the flood period.
• Awarded the ‘Golden Apple’ for Youth Work in the CN Awards
• New Stagecoach Bus launched.
• Gained the Bronze Ambition Quality Mark

1 Week Post Storm Desmond

CYZ wasn’t about to let this absolute devastation defeat it. Within a week the first and second floors were open providing free Holiday Club and food to any young person and their families affected by the floods. CYZ was there to provide the emotional support young people required, as many of our members had also had their own homes devastated too. Everywhere they knew was gone – home, school, friends gone, families split up. That was why we wanted some continuity at CYZ for them.

5 December 2015 – Storm Desmond

On 5 December 2015 Storm Desmond struck Carlisle. After what seemed like endless rain in the previous months, Storm Desmond was the Storm that broke Carlisle. Carlisle Youth Zone, like many, many other businesses and homes, was flooded. The entire ground floor – approximately 75% of the floor space was under 4ft of dirty, smelly water. Absolutely nothing, from furniture, to IT, to kitchen equipment to the plaster on the walls was salvageable. It all had to go. We commenced 2 years worth of building work.

2015 Highlights

• Z Chef collaboration with the Shabby Scholar
• Won £10,000 with the Aviva Community Fund in a public vote
• Secured funding for the Sensory Room

2014 Highlights

• With Funding from the Police Crime Commissioner for Cumbria, CYZ set up a joint 3 year Mentoring Project.
• Carrs Group PLC became a extermely valued Patron – a relationship which which is still going will last for years to come.
• The first CYZ Raceday held and raised over £25,000 of funding for CYZ. This is now a annual fixture in the diaries.
• The first Business breakfast was held at CYZ, with John Stevenson MP as the speaker.

2013 Highlights

David Allen – founder Chair person stepped down from the Board. Chris Holmes was the new appointment to this pivotal role.

Key appointments made with Murray Winters appointed as Chief Executive Officer and Lynsey Buckle appointed to Business Development Manager – two appointments which would be transformational for CYZ.

2012 Highlights

We gained our First Stagecoach Bus – designed by a member – which would travel around the City of Carlisle till 2016 when a new design was put unveiled.

To tie in with the 2012 Olympic Games, we were honored to have the Olympic Torch go past CYZ.

Founder Patrons

Brian Scowcroft linked with local business people David Allen, Andrew Tinkler and William Stobart and they set about getting Carlisle a Youth Zone – without these founders to push the development of Carlisle Youth Zone forward we may not be here today.The development and build process lasted until April 2011.

MyPlace Fund

In May 2008 the Government launched the my place fund which meant that a state of the art facility for Carlisle was possible.  At the same time local businessman Brian Scowcroft had experienced Bolton Lads and Girls Club and was keen to have something similar for Carlisle.  Starting with strong foundations from the Bolton model, Carlisle Youth Zone was an idea in fruition.