Thame fundraising drive begins for new youth and community centre

A fundraising push has started in Thame for a new community building aimed at supporting young people's mental health and tackling loneliness. Thame Town Council and Thame Youth Projects are working together on the scheme, known as Project Link, which would be built on the Southern Road Recreation Area in the Oxfordshire town.

The first fundraising event takes place on 5 December, when Thame Town Hall becomes a live music venue for the evening under the name The Sound Room. Local teenagers have been getting involved in the fundraising and will be among those performing.

Project Link has already secured more than £5m towards construction, with a further £360,000 still needed before the plans can go ahead. Local organisations, companies and residents are all being asked to help raise the remaining amount.

A town councillor who has been involved since 2017 and is a founding member of the project said the building is designed to create a community spirit, giving local organisations and young people somewhere to gather. He said Thame currently lacks a suitable building, something he expects to become more of an issue as the town grows, and that he hopes people will feel they own the space as well as help fund it.

The event organiser, a Thame resident, former teacher and youth worker, said a dedicated community space of this kind is a new idea for the town's young people, and that he hopes they will help shape how the finished facility works. More information about the project is available from Thame Town Council.