New boss for Bristol's first £11m Youth Zone announced
The person in charge of the youth organisation leading the £11m project to build a new Youth Zone in South Bristol has been confirmed. Matt Justice has been named as the new chief executive officer of Youth Moves, a South Bristol-based youth work charity that will be responsible for running the 224 Youth Zone when it is built on land between Knowle West and Hartcliffe.
Work began on the facility late last year on land opposite the Imperial retail park, and it is expected to open for its first activities in the spring of next year, 2026.
The 224 Youth Zone is a collaboration between Bristol City Council and Lancashire-based national youth work charity OnSide, which has signed up Youth Moves to run the new state-of-the-art facility. Youth Moves’ previous founder and chief exec Ali Dale left the organisation last year.
“I am incredibly excited to join Youth Moves at such a pivotal moment in its journey,” said the new chief exec Matt Justice. “The opportunity to lead an organisation with such a strong legacy of youth work, combined with the transformative potential of the 224 Youth Zone, is truly inspiring. Together, we will continue to create spaces where young people can dream, grow, and achieve,” he added.
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Matt was previously the head of children’s and youth people’s services at WECIL - the West of England Centre for Inclusive Living - and Youth Moves said his background in youth work and in particular working with young people from diverse backgrounds made him ‘uniquely suited to lead Youth Moves into ‘an exciting new chapter’.
Matt is also the co-chair of South Bristol’s Youth and Play Partnership, which aims to link together the different youth work organisations south of the river.
Heather Frankham, the chair of Youth Moves, said: “We are delighted to welcome Matt Justice as our new CEO. His wealth of experience, passion for youth services, and commitment to inclusivity make him the perfect fit to lead Youth Moves into the next exciting phase of our journey.
With Matt at the helm, we are confident that Youth Moves will not only meet the diverse needs of young people in South Bristol, but also serve as a beacon of opportunity, empowerment, and support for generations to come,” she added.