BEVERLEY – Humberside Police are appleaing for information after a Beverley youth hub built by volunteers and featured on national television has been damaged in what staff have described as deliberate vandalism.
The Cherry Tree Youth Hub, which opened in 2025 after being constructed from scratch by volunteers and featured on DIY SOS, suffered damage to its outdoor facilities over the Easter weekend while it was closed.
CCTV footage shows a group of young children entering the site, climbing on equipment and causing damage to items including a donated air hockey table, which was left broken after being jumped on and kicked.
Jo Ramsay, centre manager, said the impact had been deeply upsetting.
“It was like I’d been vandalised,” she said. “People have worked so hard for this place. They’ve put so much effort into it and it means such a lot to the community and the young people.”
The hub was created to provide a permanent space for youth work in the area, replacing earlier sessions that were held in a gazebo in a local park.
Tony Henderson, youth hub manager, said the damage is likely to cost up to £2,000 to repair and has affected areas used directly by the young people the hub is designed to support.
Among the damage was a vegetable patch used to grow food for sessions at the hub and for a local food pantry that supports around 150 families each week. Plants were trampled, netting torn and a compost area overturned.
Henderson said the situation was “sad” given the effort that had gone into creating a space intended to belong to young people themselves.
“We want young people to feel like it’s their building,” he said. “We’re not here to judge. We’re here to support, educate and move forward.”
He added that those involved had been identified and that the focus would be on engaging with them rather than pursuing a punitive approach.
Humberside Police confirmed it is aware of the incident and enquiries are ongoing.
The damage comes less than a year after the hub was completed, and has been met with disappointment from those involved in the project, many of whom gave their time to create a facility for the town’s young people.
Despite the setback, staff say the focus will remain on keeping the hub open, repairing the damage and continuing to provide a space for young people in Beverley.
Photo credit: https://ctca.org.uk/