Armadillo - Yate Youth Venue and Cafe

How to contact the Armadillo

Armadillo Youth Venue and Cafe, Station Road, Yate BS37 4FW

Phone: 01454 869 441
Website: www.yatearmadillo.co.uk
Email:

Welcome to the Armadillo

The Armadillo Youth Venue and Cafe has been built in the heart of Yate to provide a contemporary, safe environment for all young people of the locality aged between 11 and 19 to use and enjoy.

Named by local young people in recognition of its distinctive shape, and painted a vivid purple colour,the 200-capacity centre is designed to exacting environmental standards and offers high-quality facilities including an internet café, DJ and band area and a fully-featured cinema.

As well as fostering a spirit of enterprise among those involved in its operation, the centre aims to help tackle anti-social behaviour within the town by providing a safe and stimulating environment for local young people to socialise.

The centre is funded from a range of public and private sector sources with the majority coming from Yate Town Council and South Gloucestershire Council. Merlin Housing Association also funds young trainee staff.

Opening Hours

The Armadillo is open every day at the following times:

On Tuesdays, the session is split to support different age groups. 3.15-6pm is a general after school session, and from 6.30-9pm, we are pleased to welcome years 7, 8 and 9.

What's Inside?

At the heart of the Armadillo is the Café which provides hot and cold food as well as a variety of refreshing cold drinks, good quality coffee, tea and hot chocolate.  

The Armadillo provides a host of facilities and activities for young people to enjoy in a relaxed environment, including:

• a karaoke pod
• a band practice room
• a top of the range sound system, stage and lighting setup. A vibrant programme of musical events and gigs is being put together, working with local performers, bands and acts. There is also a band rehearsal facility for up-and-coming bands to hone their skills.
• a state of the art small cinema, fitted with the latest high definition facilities and run by a team of young people. The cinema will show a variety of new and classic films, along with big sport events and TV shows as requested by customers.
• computer stations for young people to browse the web whilst enjoying fresh food and drinks from the cafe.
• a large recreational area equipped with soft furnishings, pool table and a wide screen TV
• an outdoor area for relaxing and even enjoying the occasional barbeque (weather permitting!)

In addition to the above, the Armadillo will be offering workshops which will give young people the opportunity to get involved with activities and learn new skills.

There is also a meeting room available which can be hired by businesses and community groups – please get in touch if you would like to find out more.

Royal welcome for HRH Prince Edward at Armadillo

Young people from Yate gave a royal welcome to HRH The Earl of Wessex Prince Edward when he officially opened the town’s innovative Armadillo Youth Venue and Café on December 13th 2011.

The £1.5m building, which first opened its doors in July, has already proven a hit as a safe, comfortable and high-quality social gathering space for 11-19 year olds.

And it has also won praise for its unique management structure which sees local young people given an equal say in how the centre is run, alongside core funders Yate Town Council and South Gloucestershire Council.

Management committee members Andre Corway, 16, and Megan Davis, 15, were on hand to show HRH Prince Edward around the centre, together with Chair of South Gloucestershire Council Mike Drew, Mayor of Yate Councillor Martin Monk, and Armadillo Project Board Chair Chris Willmore.