The council has announced 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 8 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.
Council leader Councillor Ian Brookfield, who has made a public commitment to invest more in services for the city's children and young people, said: "Giving our children and young people the best possible start in life is a key priority for the City of Wolverhampton Council.
"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 the city, 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.
"As a council we have already provided £3.5m towards The Way’s development and running costs. Council funding was scheduled to reduce this year, but through our announcement of further support totalling £600,000 over the next 3 years, we have demonstrated our continuing commitment to this vital asset for the children and young people of Wolverhampton."
Councillor Brookfield is also calling upon other leading businesses and organisations in the city to show their support for The Way. He said: “The Way has already had wonderful support from many businesses and individuals in the city over the last few years, and on behalf of the council, I will be writing to other organisations to see if they can also lend their financial backing; I am sure we will get a fantastic response.”
Councillor John Reynolds, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: "We are pleased to be able to continue supporting The Way financially for another 3 years and would encourage other businesses, organisations and individuals in the city to give The Way their backing, either by becoming a patron and making a consistent pledge of financial support, making a one off donation or taking part in fundraising on behalf of The Way by making it their ‘charity of the year’.
“In doing so, we can ensure that this fantastic facility is able to continue to thrive and support our city’s children and young people for many years to come.”
For more information about The Way, please visit The Way. For details of how to pledge support, please visit Support Us.
