Football club charity to take over youth building

The New Saints FC Foundation will shortly be signing a lease with Oswestry Town Council to take on the running of The Centre building in Oak Street.

The building is to be re-named The Centre Spot and will become a hub for youth and community wellbeing activities.  

Gill Jones of The New Saints FC Foundation said the existing organisations using the building including the OsNosh community food programme and the St John’s Ambulance Brigade would continue to be based at the Oak Street site.

There are also plans for new organisations and activities to come on board making use of all The Centre Spot’s facilities including its music studio and the multi-use games area next to it. 

“Our role in taking on the overall management from Oswestry Town Council will help to safeguard the future of the building and its facilities for the community of Oswestry and particularly for its young people.

“We are looking forward to working alongside all the partner organisations to maximise the potential and create a really well used asset with something for everyone,” she said. 

The building, built by Shropshire Council on the site of the old youth building previously known Centre North West, was opened in 2012 as a state-of- the-art youth centre.

But it became the victim of public spending cuts across the county and was taken over by Oswestry Town Council in August 2024.

The foundation has ambitious plans for The Centre Spot to complement the range of youth and sport activities it organises across north west Shropshire.

It is already helping to run a Wednesday evening youth club there alongside Shropshire Youth Association and has just launched a further three football sessions for children covering an age range of two to 16-years including Footie Families for toddlers and a girls only Teen Saints session.

The foundation is also planning a walking football session for people who have Parkinson’s disease in association with Parkinson’s UK and the Football Association of Wales. 

Gill said that the foundation would be working with youth music production organisation Sound Lives and a play therapist to make the most of the centre’s music suite.

There are also longer term plans for the outdoor multi-games area.

She paid tribute to Oswestry Town Council for its role in the hand-over.

“The Council has been absolutely brilliant and has given us tremendous support to get to the stage where the lease will be signed very shortly. 

“We are all very much looking forward to working with all the partner organisations  further to develop this wonderful asset for the town. We hope the community will fully embrace the changes and make the most of all the activities and facilities,” she said.