THE Lakeland Youth Centre in Enniskillen is to be demolished and rebuilt in a £1.3 million investment.

This will enable the Western Education and Library Board to demolish the existing building on the Wellington Road, and construct a purpose built youth centre on the existing site.

According to the Western Education and Library Board, the new building will provide 376m² of ground floor space accommodation that incorporates a reception, coffee bar, internet café, meeting room and function space. The first floor accommodation will provide 215m² of floor space that includes three offices, a conference room and gallery.

WELB say the ethos of the youth centre will be “to provide a safe, welcoming and natural environment which contributes to the vision of every young person achieving to his or her full potential at each stage of his or her development”.

The new building will also act as an administration hub for youth service personnel in the Fermanagh area and the local youth office for registered groups.

Sinn Fein MLA for Fermanagh-south Tyrone, Sean Lynch, said the investment “will ensure proper facilities for youth services for the foreseeable future”.

“It is important that young people have proper facilities in which can provide educational and recreational facilities for then to develop their life skills. The new centre will be able to cater for a range of activities from sport, leisure through to training and cultural activities.

“I look forward to now seeing this project develop over the next year as this is the only dedicated youth facility in the Enniskillen area,” he said.