Justin Welby blesses new Youthscape building

Youthscape works locally in Luton but also across the whole of the UK, supporting and equipping youth workers and working directly with thousands of young people. Bute Mills, their new home is a five-storey former Victorian mill which has undergone a £2 million redevelopment to create bespoke training areas and facilities, office and meeting spaces and a youth centre.

The celebratory church service, held at St Mary’s, Luton, included contributions from numerous individuals who had been impacted by Youthscape, as well as spoken word from koko’s Meg Canon which charted the struggles of being a 15-year-old girl.

The Archbishop of Canterbury commended Youthscape for being simultaneously Christ-centred and accepting of everyone. He applauded the fact that people’s stories were real and not tidy. When asked how the church could engage better with young people, Welby warned of treating people as categories. He argued that there was no such thing as ‘young people,’ just individuals who were uniquely special and made in the image of God. After his first visit to Youthscape, the Archbishop said he wanted to return because he had caught something of the smell of hope.