A WINDFALL of £133,000 will hit the right notes with aspiring musicians.
Itaca based in Hesketh House has been given thousands of pounds by the Welsh Government to overhaul the building.
The Itaca youth facility, which hosts a range of IT and educational opportunities for youngsters in the area, will extend onto the third floor of the building through a major revamp which includes a new music studio.
Linda Tavernor, spokeswoman for Itaca, said: “We want to create class rooms and we also want a media suite, which will give us room for a rehearsal space. In the future we also want to bring in a recording studio. We are very thrilled at the news.”
Itaca, which offers courses and support primarily for people aged from 10 to 25, but recently staff have focused on school leavers who are struggling to find jobs and older members of the community.
Linda said: “We’re delivering a lot of training. The refurbishment will give us a lot more space to develop training programs even further. We’ve helped a lot of young people into the work place, but we also have older learners.
“Our oldest learner is 84 and we are teaching someone who was 53 and found himself unemployed. It boosts confidence and gives them some hope.”
The grant is part of the government Community Facilities and Activities Programme, which shares out £1.29 million for regeneration projects.
Carl Sargeant, Welsh Minister for local Government, said: “This grants is not simply about improving buildings. Local clubs and centres can be the hub of the community where people, young and old, get together and enjoy social activities.”