People encouraged to engage with Pilot’s Row consultation

Local people have the chance to give their views on the services on offer at Pilots Row Youth and Community Centre, as part of an ongoing public consultation exercise.

The consultation has been running since December and has been extended to allow further engagement, including an additional public information event scheduled to take place on Thursday, January 30 at 7.00pm at the centre.

User groups, community groups and residents are urged to give their views on the current service provision offered at the facility and to identify if there are any gaps in the provision and to ascertain if there are any additional/new needs or requirements with regards to the facility and the services provided. 

The centre caters for both youth and community provision and is currently run by the Education Authority, Youth Service in partnership with Derry City and Strabane District Council.

The consultation is currently open online and a number of public consultation events have already taken place, as well as face-to-face engagement opportunities for staff and young people who attend the youth club in the centre, as well as user groups, elected representatives and community groups.

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Cllr Lilian Seenoi Barr, said it was vitally important that local people feed into the process to ensure services at the centre truly reflect the needs of the local community.

“We all know that centres like Pilots Row are vital hubs for community activities, bringing people together and offering services and support. To ensure that they continue to deliver for the local community and beyond it’s essential that the people using those services day and daily give their views.

"I would really like to see a good turn out for this additional public engagement event at the end of the month and I would encourage all residents, relevant user groups, and especially younger people to engage with this process.”

Declan Gallagher, Senior Youth Officer with the EA, stated: “We currently manage the centre daily and are committed to ensuring that the facility and services on offer are meeting the needs of all service users. This consultation process will help to identify gaps and help us to compile a business case to take the recommendations forward.”

Following the consultation a report will be brought back to the member-led joint committee for Pilots Row outlining the priorities identified in terms of youth and community services.