The Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board has met today (Friday 12 December 2025) and has agreed to award a £535,000 capital grant from the government’s Pride in Place Programme (PiPP) to Pie Factory Music. This funding is intended to secure the freehold ownership of the Ramsgate Youth Centre, safeguarding the vital facility for young people in perpetuity.
The decision follows urgent negotiations to prevent the site’s sale at auction by Kent County Council (KCC), a move that would have posed a significant risk to youth services in the district.
Brian Horton, the Interim Chair of the Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board said: “This is a landmark moment for Ramsgate and a direct investment in the core promise of our ten-year vision, ‘Investing in Our Young People (Raise It Up)’. Pie Factory Music is the only dedicated youth centre in Thanet, and a freehold purchase gives Pie Factory Music a much more stable basis on which to plan their future. By allocating this £535,000 grant, the Board is making a clear statement: we are committed to providing safe, positive spaces for the next generation to thrive. The vision for Ramsgate is clear – ‘Not striving but thriving’ – and you cannot thrive if your young people feel left behind.”
The Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board is keen that this investment in community based youth infrastructure will enable Pie Factory Music to help deliver against the ten year Vision for Ramsgate and the strategic priorities from the Regeneration Plan. The grant of £535,000 will come from the capital element of the £20m Pride in Place Programme – funding which has been allocated to Ramsgate by the government.
Councillor Rick Everitt, Leader of Thanet District Council, said: “I want to thank the council officers who have worked intensively to enable this proposal to come before the Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board and Cabinet within the available timeframe. This demonstrates our shared commitment to securing a positive future for Ramsgate’s young people, and I am also grateful to my fellow board members for their input and support.”
Urgent Next Steps Required
Due to the tight timeline set by KCC, the entire process must be completed by the end of January 2026. The next critical steps include:
- Thanet District Council Cabinet Approval: The council’s Cabinet is being asked to approve the forward funding of the £535,000 grant. This is necessary because the official Pride in Place Programme capital allocations are not due until April 2026. Forward funding from the council’s existing financial balances will bridge this gap.
- Grant Agreement Finalisation: Pie Factory Music must review and agree to the grant conditions. These are a prudent safeguard for public investment and include a requirement to use the site for youth services in perpetuity, deliver specific outcomes for young people, maintain the site in good condition, and reinvest any generated income back into youth provision. The grant will also be secured as a 20-year charge against the property.
The Board is working in close partnership with Thanet District Council and Pie Factory Music to meet this challenging deadline, ensuring the continued delivery of services integral to achieving the Ramsgate Regeneration Plan’s goal of creating Stronger Communities and tackling the root causes of youth disorder.
