Sydney youth centre and 'hidden skate park' built on donations

A new youth centre is about to open in downtown Sydney and almost everything needed to pull it together was donated.

Lighthouse Church, which is in the process of acquiring the building, already runs a busy youth centre in Glace Bay but saw a need for the same programs in Sydney. Pastor David Sawler said the support for Sydney's Undercurrent Youth Centre has been amazing.

"This is crazy about this whole project. We actually can't afford to do any of this and right now we are completely debt free with this project. Everything that's here has been donated by somebody."

The location is a former Salvation Army building that was more recently the offices for New Dawn Enterprises.

"This is a perfect space for what we do."

Sawler said centre will start with just a few activities, such skateboarding and scooters. He hopes to start floor hockey in the coming weeks and down the road will look for funding to install some of the more costly equipment, including rock climbing walls and basketball nets.

'Hidden skate park'

The space that was formerly the Salvation Army church sanctuary is being renovated with skateboarders in mind. Ollie Around, a local skate shop, is donating some of the skateboarding features, Sawler said.

"There's almost going to be like a hidden skate park in this place," he said. "It will kind of look like a normal building but it's all elements that skateboarders will be using if they are out around in the city."

The stairs, ledges and handrails will be reinforced with angle iron to make them skateboard friendly. Sawler said all the skateboarding equipment is movable so the large room can be multi-purpose.

'Space here for kids to practise music'

The centre will also have a youth games room, lounge and music rooms.

"We actually have a really good drum set that's been donated. We have another group that's putting in guitars, base, amplifiers and stuff. So we have a space here for kids to practise music."

The doors at the new Undercurrent open Sunday night for a church service, with kids programming beginning on Monday.

"After doing this much work it will be just awesome to see this place filled with young people," said Sawler. "That's why we're doing this."