Crewe Youth Zone gets £1.2m donation from Julia and Hans Rausing

Crewe Youth Zone is building a centre in the town and hopes to open it in 2025

A youth project in Crewe has received £1.2m for a new building, which will create 70 jobs and cover its running costs for three years.

Crewe Youth Zone is building a centre in the town which will have a sports hall, recording studio, gym and drama studio and crafts room.

The money has been donated by Julia and Hans Rausing, who have awarded £2.5m to 19 charities in Cheshire.

The Crewe charity said it was "profoundly grateful" for the funding.

It is hoped full and part-time jobs will be created as well as up to 100 volunteering opportunities when it opens seven days a week in spring 2025.

"This generous donation will initiate a Founder Patron campaign designed to achieve long-term sustainability, ensuring Crewe Youth Zone will be an asset to the community and transforming young people's lives for generations to come," Joëlle Warren, charity trustee and vice lord lieutenant for Cheshire said.

'Skills for life'

The funding from The Julia and Hans Rausing Trust is the largest of the donations which are spread across organisations that work in health and wellbeing, welfare and education and arts and culture.

"Cheshire bears great significance to our family, which is why we have chosen to partner with these 19 charities in the region, all rooted in their local communities," the couple said.

"These grants cover a broad range of charities to help those most in need across Cheshire.

"Supporting the new youth zone in Crewe will provide young people with a new state-of-the-art facility and will help develop vital skills for life."

Other charities to receive funding include:

• Cheshire Young Carers

• The Wingate Special Children's Trust

• St Marys Church, Nantwich

• East Cheshire Hospice

• Nantwich Foodbank

Since Mr Rausing, the grandson of Tetra Pak pioneer Ruben Rausing, and his wife formed the trust, it has provided more than 1,000 grants totalling more than £330m.