A new youth hub has opened in Redhill to support young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) and those facing barriers to work.

Launched on Monday 11 May by Rebecca Paul MP, Cllr Rich Michalowski, Mayor of the Borough of Reigate & Banstead and Councillor Deb Shiner, Vice Chair of Tandridge District Council, the hub is a responsive local service bringing together community partners to provide young people with access to resources, advice and guidance in one place.

It is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and delivered by Surrey Lifelong Learning Partnership (SLLP) in partnership with Reigate & Banstead Borough Council and Tandridge District Council.

Focused on young people

The hub, which also includes outreach in Caterham and Oxted is focused on young people aged 18-24 and will offer services such as one-to-one employment support, supported job search sessions, workshops on interview skills and topics such as apprenticeships, preparation for work programmes, and engagement with employers through employability workshops and recruitment events.

Speaking at the opening event, Cllr Michalowski said, “We are delighted to open the Redhill Youth Hub – a brilliant initiative funded by the DWP that came out of our ongoing partnership work. We are confident that the hub will help remove some of the barriers to youth employment and provide opportunities for our young people to connect with local employers, and develop the skills needed to get them into work.”

Councillor Shiner added: “We’re proud to be supporting young people through this service. Working with our partners, we’re helping those facing barriers to employment access the advice, support and opportunities they need to take their next steps into work.”

The Redhill Youth Hub will be open every week on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 76 Station Road, Redhill RH1 1PL and every Thursday from 21 May at the Woodhouse Centre, Oxted and Caterham Valley Library.

You can find out more about the hub and how to access it on the Reigate & Banstead Works website.