Shopping centre giant Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) has signed a new three-year partnership with Croydon Youth Zone, Legacy, which we’re told provides “a vibrant, safe space for young people”.

URW said it forms part of wider investment in the area and builds on its longstanding relationship with national youth charity, OnSide.

And reaffirming its commitment to supporting local communities around its centres, URW also also renewed its partnership with WEST, another of OnSide’s Youth Zones in Hammersmith and Fulham, continuing its 13-year association with the organisation.

The WEST Youth Zone is part of EdCity, a £150 million not-for-profit regeneration scheme that aims to bring “improved community facilities, new affordable homes, and an innovative education hub to White City”.

Over the next three years URW will invest £25,000 a year in both Youth Zones, totalling £150,000. The funding will go towards creating opportunities and access to learning and activities for young people, it noted.

Jacinta Rowsell, Director of Operations at URW, said: “Our continued, long relationship with OnSide fits perfectly with our group’s Better Places strategy and our commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of current and future residents and communities around our centres.”

WEST and Legacy provide young people aged 8-19 (and up to 25 for those with Special Educational Needs) affordable access to a wide range of programmes, support services and activities including sports, arts, music, employability, and mentoring, as well as state of the art facilities such as recording studios, climbing walls, Apple suites, wellbeing studios and cookery kitchens, enabling young people in the areas to pursue their passions and learn and develop new skills.

In April, Legacy welcomed 3,499 children and young people through its doors, and WEST already has over 1,000 young members just one month after opening.