Last Youth Haven in Deprived Coastal Community Faces Axe
The final remaining youth centre in one of England's most deprived coastal regions is confronting permanent closure after Kent County Council rejected a year-long campaign to preserve it. Pie Factory Music in Ramsgate, which provides creative projects and essential support services for eight- to 25-year-olds, will lose its home when the council-owned building is sold at auction in February.
Vital Services and Financial Impact
Pie Factory Music operates as a crucial social space offering counselling, employment advice, life skills sessions, assistance for young refugees, and creative music projects. Last year alone, the centre supported nearly 1,000 children and young people in Thanet, ranked among England's most deprived districts.
An independent report from business strategy consultancy Outskirts Research revealed the centre generates enormous value for taxpayers. The analysis concluded Pie Factory Music's work created cost savings of £580,660 to Kent County Council annually through reduced youth offending and decreased demand for mental health and social care services. The total return on investment was estimated at over £1.2 million.
Council Cuts and Failed Negotiations
Zoë Carassik, who runs Pie Factory Music, described the devastating impact of recent council decisions. "When KCC cut commissioned youth services in 2024 we lost about half of our annual budget," she said. "We've been fundraising desperately to maintain our provision. To be told that the building we operate from is to be sold in three months' time is devastating."
The organisation has operated from the council-owned Ramsgate youth centre for 13 years. Despite presenting several proposals to either rent or purchase the building—supported by KCC's Reform UK member for Ramsgate, Terry Mole—the council rejected all offers. Instead, the authority offered a commercial lease at market rent, far exceeding the charity's budget.
National Crisis in Youth Services
Kent's situation reflects a broader national crisis in youth service funding. A recent YMCA report documented a 73% decline in funding for youth services across England between 2010 and 2024, with Wales experiencing a 6% year-on-year decrease.
Research highlights the particular vulnerability of coastal youth. Essex University's Centre for Coastal Communities found young people in England's most deprived coastal areas are three times more likely to have undiagnosed mental health conditions than their inland peers facing similar deprivation.
Tom, 16, a regular user of Pie's youth centre, expressed his distress: "It is the place I feel safest when I'm out and about in Ramsgate. If I come here, I know that nothing's going to go wrong. I've made loads of friends and it has become a comfortable place for me to be."
Council's Response
A KCC spokesperson stated: "KCC, like other councils, has to make savings to balance the overall budget and protect services it legally has to provide. The former KCC Ramsgate youth centre building was listed as an asset of community value giving local groups the opportunity to develop proposals. We've responded, setting out a number of options, and understand Pie Factory is considering its next steps."
As the February auction date approaches, the future remains uncertain for the hundreds of young people who depend on this vital community resource.
