JNR8 Youth and Community Centre

WRYOA's three main areas of activity are as follows: WHIZ (Whalley Range Inclusion Zone) is our programme of work for young people aged 11 to 19 (25 years wider remit), currently offering a variety of activities four evenings per week as well as ongoing support for young people; JNR8, which is the name by which our base is generally known, but is also our programme of holiday provision for children aged 12 and under; and Celebrate, our yearly community festival uniting all segments of the community in a day of fun and celebration.
Working directly with young people and the larger community is the main goal of every project.
WRYOA is innovative because it is governed and operated by locals for locals.
The Whalley Range Youth Opportunities Association (WRYOA) turned 38 years old this year after becoming a registered charity in 1982.
The original committee was composed of local business owners (including the milkman, the treasurer, the owner of the Simpson Hotel, the chair, and nine other business owners who regularly attended meetings and contributed money) as well as numerous young people from the area who were active in the FRP.
A football uniform and extracurricular activities like coach trips and other outings were funded by the traders.
Due to the members' relocation, WRYOA went idle for a while, with some of the work being handled by the Free Range Project.
However, with the closure of the FRP, the WRYOA was revived, and local volunteers—including Carol Packham, one of the initial volunteers—and members of the Free Range Housing co-operative—where the registered office was based—began planning neighbourhood events once more.
The Celebrate Festival, which began in 1998 and has completed its 22nd year, was the first significant activity.
Through productive collaborations with the City Council, we were able to secure funds for the Whiz (Whalley Range Inclusion Zone) Project, which would create daytime services for youth who did not attend school. Whiz-out, a separate project, would then receive funding shortly after.
WRYOA has been operating in Whalley Range for 38 years and has established a solid reputation thanks to our play programme JNR8 and youth programme Whiz. We work with young people between the ages of 5 and 25, some of whose parents participated in the project before them and some of whom are currently employed by us.
On our roster, there are approximately 130 young people with a variety of backgrounds.
We provide them the chance to take part in a variety of activities, such as Thai boxing, football, group talks, and workshops about topics like unemployment, stereotypes, crime, gang awareness, drugs, etc. that affect young people and their community.
By providing a range of volunteer opportunities, from working directly on our project to helping with the preparation and setup of our yearly community festival, Celebrate, we are also devoted to helping young people and members of the community.