Make a Difference, an MK based community interest company, are leading this exciting development project that will provide over 900 volunteering opportunities for young people aged 16-25 in the city.

Building work at ‘The Buszy’ started at the beginning of October, to transform the disused nightclub, to provide facilities including a dance studio with sprung floor, a music recording/rehearsal studio and a venue for music/cinema/performance events. The building will also house a health food and fairtrade café, meeting spaces and a gallery overlooking the skate park.

The venue will become a permanent home for Make a Difference, who will be facilitating over 900 youth volunteering opportunities as a direct result of this funding. Young people will be able to design and run activities and positive opportunities across a wide variety of sectors including arts, culture, music, sport, environment, catering and youth work.

Youth Volunteering Development Manager Anna Peters said: ‘We are ecstatic to have secured this funding to revamp the Buszy. We have been looking for a building where we can create and host activities for young people based around their passions and interests. There is no housing or residential areas around the site itself, so the young people can run activities in the evenings without worrying about making too much noise’.

The Buszy’s location, right next to Milton Keynes central rail station, means that the new facilities will be accessible to all with excellent links to the city's public transport network.

Planners have engaged the original architect of the Buszy to help renovate the area and a youth lead team are working with him to agree plans and ensure their input starts from the drawing board upto the finished site.

For more information about Make a Difference go to: www.mad-uk.org