224 Youth Zone
Frequently asked questions:
What is 224?
224 is an inspirational place for young people. The combination of great youth work and state of the art facilities will support young people to discover new opportunities and explore their passions and nurture their hobbies.
It will be open to all young people aged 8 to 19, and up to 25 for those with additional needs. The Youth Zone will provide thousands of young with somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to.
The state-of-the-art facility has a 4-court indoor sports hall, indoor climbing wall, fitness suite, boxing and martial arts room, performing arts studio, music suite with instruments and recording equipment, recreation areas, project rooms for arts, crafts and fashion, film and multi-media facilities, a teaching kitchen, cafe and break out rooms.
You can see what the facilities will look like here.
How much will it cost for young people to attend?
Annual membership for 224 Youth Zone will be £5, then members will pay 50p per visit which includes access to over 20 activities from sports like football, boxing, and climbing to creative arts, music, drama, and employability training.
You can become a member here.
What is inside 224?
- Indoor climbing wall
- 3G kick pitch
- Fully equipped gym
- Dance and drama studio
- Music room
- Arts and crafts room
- Training kitchen
- Martial arts gym
- Enterprise suite
- Health and wellbeing room
- Pool
- Games
- And much more!
When will 224 be open?
224 is officially opening on June 20th, 2026. If you join before then, then you will get exclusive access to our pre opening sessions and be the first to know about exciting events!
Who will run 224?
224 will be an independent charity which will be part of the OnSide Network of Youth Zones, governed by a Board of Trustees. The day-to-day management of the Youth Zone will be the responsibility of the 224 team. Built on decades of trusted Youth Work in South Bristol, the team are ready to welcome young people through the doors to support them with discovering their passions in a fun and safe environment.
What are 224’s opening times?
The Youth Zone will be open until 8pm for junior sessions and up to 10pm for senior sessions. Please see our full delivery schedule here.
How will you support SEND young people and/or young people with additional needs?
All existing Youth Zones provide and cater for young people with a range of additional needs up to the age of 25 through inclusive ability sessions alongside the mainstream offer.
The sessions are adapted for young people with additional needs and are open for a wide range of young people to access, including those with mild learning difficulties to more complex needs such as visual impairment and physical disabilities. Young people are given the opportunity to access a range of activities for example boxing, trampolining, karaoke, arts and crafts, cooking, gaming and much more.
Our dedicated SEND session will be on a Sunday.
How is 224 being funded?
The capital costs are being funded by private and public sector contributions including Bristol City Council, the Government’s Youth Investment Fund and St James Place Charitable Foundation. The Council will also contribute towards the Youth Zone’s annual revenue costs for the first three years. 224 are also seeking the support of local businesses, philanthropists and the local community to raise the remaining running costs, to help achieve long-term sustainability and ensure 224 transforms young people’s lives for generations to come.
How are young people kept safe?
224 is staffed by experienced and dedicated youth workers. All young people will have to register and check in giving the staff full oversight of who is in the building and young people must follow the 224 Behaviour Policy.
Additionally, like other Youth Zones all young people and adults will be wanded before entering the Youth Zone. This is to keep our community safe and embed a culture of non violence.
What is wanding?
At 224 Youth Zone, the safety and wellbeing of our members and staff will always be our number one priority.
Like other Youth Zones we will be introducing bag checks and handheld metal detector (wand) checks as young people and adults enter the building. These checks are a preventative safety measure designed to ensure that weapons or unsafe items do not enter the Youth Zone. This also means that we can also detect and confiscate vapes, 224 will be a no vaping site so we ask that young people do not bring them to the site.
We understand that parents and carers may have questions, so we want to reassure our community that:
- These checks are carried out respectfully and with the young person’s consent
- They are not based on suspicion – every young person is treated equally
- Our team will always explain the process and make young people feel comfortable
- We operate a strict zero-tolerance policy on weapons to protect everyone in the building
- All staff carrying out a wanding check have received adequate training
224 Youth Zone is committed to providing a safe, welcoming space where young people can relax, have fun and grow in confidence. Introducing wanding at the start of our sessions is part of our ongoing work to make sure every young person can enjoy their time here safely.
We believe that young people deserve places where they feel secure, supported and able to be themselves, and these measures help us protect that environment.
If parents or carers have any questions, please don’t hesitate to speak to a member of our team.
To ensure young people know what to expect, we will soon be sharing a video of what wanding involves alleviating any anxiety so everyone knows what to expect when they visit us for the first time.
Thank you for continuing to support us in keeping 224 Youth Zone a safe space for all.
How can young people get to 224 Youth Zone
Young people can cycle, walk, get the bus or be dropped off at 224 Youth Zone.
Please be aware that there is no parking at 224 Youth Zone. Adults dropping off their young person can park at Imperial Park and walk with their young person over to the Youth Zone by crossing at the traffic lights on Hartcliffe Way.
You can also access the Youth Zone on foot via the foot path that connects Inns Court Drive and Hartcliffe Way.
There are bike stands for young people to lock up their bikes.
Bus Links to 224 Youth Zone
224 Youth Zone is well connected by public transport, with multiple bus routes serving stops within a short walking distance at Hengrove Park, Hengrove Leisure Park and Imperial Park.
Key routes include:
- M1 Metrobus – a fast, high-frequency service linking Hengrove with Bedminster, Bristol City Centre, UWE and Cribbs Causeway
- 75 & 76 – major routes connecting South Bristol through Bedminster and the city centre to Hengrove and beyond
- 36 – linking Brislington, Knowle and Imperial Park directly to Hengrove Park
- 37 – connecting Knowle West, Hartcliffe, Bishopsworth and wider South Bristol to the Youth Zone area
- 16 – providing additional links across Bristol including Fishponds, the city centre and South Bristol
- 515 – a local route connecting Stockwood, Whitchurch, Imperial Park and Hengrove
- A4 Air Decker – offering wider regional connections via Hengrove, including routes towards the airport