Covid-19 restrictions had briefly limited the amount of in person activities The Way was able to offer over the last 18 months, but with lockdown now lifted children and young people are able to enjoy its full facilities once again.
To celebrate this fact, The Way is holding not one but 3 Relaunch Parties on Saturday (23 October); a family party from 1pm to 3pm, a Junior Party for 8 to 12 year olds from 4pm to 6pm and a Senior Party for 13 to 19 year olds (or 25 for those with a disability) from 7pm to 9pm.
Visitors can enjoy a roller disco, carnival games, temporary tattoos, sensory games and live music, alongside food and drink and free memberships for the year ahead, enabling children and young people to access The Way for just 50p a session over the next 12 months.
Then on Sunday, The Way is holding another special event to unveil its new, state of the art sensory room. Designed for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, and also available to anyone else who needs a quiet space to relax in, it has a range of sensory equipment including an interactive infinity panel, fibre optics, sound machines, a floor projector, cinema wall and bubbling water tubes.
The sensory room has partly been paid for through the City of Wolverhampton Council's Ward Funds initiative, which gives elected members money to spend on projects in the city, as well as through financial support from the Bailey Thomas Charitable Trust, ACT Foundation, Hospital Saturday Fund and SpaceHive Crowdfunding.
Sensory room sessions for children and young people – called The Way Adapts – will be held every Sunday, between 2pm and 3.30pm for Juniors aged 8 to 12 and from 3.45pm to 5.15pm for Seniors aged 13 to 25.
Other facilities on offer at the School Street youth centre include indoor basketball courts, a football pitch, climbing walls, dance studio, a fully equipped gym, music room, café and a gaming room, all accessible for just 50p a visit.
Carla Priddon, CEO of The Way, said: "We are so excited to be back to being able to give our pre-pandemic offer to young people across the city. We cannot wait to welcome all young people back for sessions or introduce them to the Youth Zone if they’ve not been before!”
Councillor Beverley Momenabadi, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: "The team at The Way have done a brilliant job throughout the pandemic, firstly through remote sessions for children and young people and then reintroducing face to face activities once it was safe enough to do so.
"It is great news that The Way is now fully open for business once more, and I would encourage members old and new to go along and join the party this weekend to see for themselves what's on offer.
"As well as the council providing ongoing financial support to this important facility, I am also very pleased that local councillors, through Ward Funds, have been able to help back the creation of the new sensory room for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, which will be used for the first time this weekend."
To find out more, please visit The Way.
