ARC Oxford, the city’s innovation cluster, has provided ‘in-kind’ space to the charity Oxfordshire Youth, to create its flagship Oxford Centre for Youth Innovation and to help further tackle inequality in the local community.

The local community surrounding the campus is in the top 20 percent of most deprived wards in the UK, with 36 percent of children living in poverty.  By converting Building 4400, the new Oxford Centre for Youth Innovation will create dedicated space for face-to-face interaction with young people, provide space for the charity to deliver its leadership programmes, and help young people develop essential skills to survive and thrive.

Dan Williams Director at ARC Oxford said; “We’re delighted to be able to support such an important local charity. It’s really important that as ARC Oxford we invest in the communities that we are proud to be part of. Ideas and innovation comes from diverse thinking and we’re looking forward to working closely with Oxfordshire Youth to help inspire and improve the skills of young people from the local community.”

Jodie Lloyd-Jones, CEO of Oxfordshire Youth said; “We are thrilled to be experiencing a hugely warm welcome in our new home. Our Centre for Youth Innovation affords the young people we work with and our staff team fantastic opportunities. The OX4 communities surrounding ARC Oxford include some of the most deprived areas in the UK, and being here, we feel truly energised at the prospect of partnering with the ARC community and significantly transforming outcomes for young people in this neighbourhood and across Oxfordshire, over the next 10 years.”

ARC Oxford has worked closely with the charity for the last 12 months, including fundraising, and providing meeting space. This recent initiative will allow Oxfordshire Youth to reach more young people and deliver additional programmes.