The Prince’s Trust Cymru is investing in a new hub in the historic Howells building in the centre of Cardiff.
In a move that marks the next chapter for the listed landmark building, the charity, which supports thousands of young people across Wales each year to realise their potential, is taking 12,000 sq ft of space after entering into a long-term lease agreement with owners of 277,000 sq ft building in Naissance Capital Real Estate, which acquired the property investment in 2016 in a £37m deal.
A number of other lettings are close to being finalised as the Victorian building evolves into a new mixed-use location providing leisure, retail and office space, as well as potentially inner city living apartments.
Under the new ownership of Mike Ashley, retailer House of Fraser remains a tenant in the building located on a 1.7 acre site.
The Prince’s Trust Cymru will have a reception area and dedicated entrance on the ground floor of the building on St Mary Street with a larger presence on the first floor.
It will take on its new space in January next year. It plans to move from its current smaller location at Ocean Way in Cardiff Bay, where it employs around 40, next autumn.
Director of the Prince’s Trust Cymru, Phil Jones, said of the investment: “It will transform the potential of what we are able to do in helping young people across south east Wales, but also bringing in partners to cumulatively help the region as a whole.
“This business year we are hoping to help around 1,400 young people in south east Wales and around 3,500 across the whole of Wales.
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"We want to get to a point where we are helping up to 6,000 people across the whole of Wales and getting on for 2,000 here in south east Wales. To do that we have got to be in the right locations.”
Its new hub at the Howells building will provide around 2,000 sq ft more space than its current location in the city.
Mr Jones said: “The trust has been around for 43 years and in that time we have helped just over one million young people across the 海角视频. In the next ten years we have an ambition to help another million. That is a scale-up unprecedented in the charity’s history and represents around 50,000 in Wales.
"To achieve that we have restructured the organisation and have fashioned a way of working that genuinely puts young people first and front of what we do.
“So whether it is that young person lacking social skills, those who are economically inactivity, have academically under achieved, whatever it is, we need to be there for them and being in the right place is vital.”
Mr Jones added: “So the Howells site will give us a fantastic new visible presence in the centre of the city, being literally a stone’s throw from what will be the new bus station and the train station. It will provide an opportunity for young people to come in and engage with us and start a journey that is right for them.
" And that initial engagement is crucial in a progressive journey that might lead to employment, volunteering or re-entering into the education space. Or it might just lead to them realising that they actually have more potential than they realised.”
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In terms of possible city centre locations, Mr Jones said there were limited options. He added: “As luck would have it, and you need planets to align in your favour occasionally, with the dye being cast in the House of Fraser occupancy (space reduction), through landlord in Azeemeh Zaheer (chief executive of Naissance), we have taken an opportunity to give new life to a historically significant building.”
Ms Zaheer is also a member of the advisory committee of the Prince’s Trust Cymru, which had no involvement with the decision to move to the Howells building. The investment was approved by the Prince’s Trust Council for the whole of the 海角视频.
Ms Zaheer said: “Since bringing Naissance Capital to Wales in 2016, I have supported a number of local community organisations that impact the local community in a positive way.
"I joined the Prince’s Trust Cymru advisory committee two years ago, and was immediately inspired by The trust’s work and their vision to support young people in Wales. I am very much looking forward to seeing what the next chapter in our partnership brings.”
The trust is also looking to establish new hubs, in locations close to public transport provision, in Pontypridd, Swansea and Wrexham.