Youth Centre Sumppu reopens in new premises in Isolahti

After a year in temporary premises, Youth Centre Sumppu opened the doors to its new home on Pallokatu in Isolahti in late August. The new premises have quickly proved popular, attracting both familiar faces and new visitors.

– The young people say the new premises have ‘everything they could wish for’. In particular, they have praised the PlayStation 5, the large TV, and the kitchen, says Laura Plosila, Youth Worker.

LAN parties, gaming livestreams, and bands

Completely new additions to the revamped Sumppu include a dedicated gaming room and a band rehearsal space.

– The gaming room is equipped with eight gaming PCs and high-quality gaming chairs. We can now organise guided gaming activities, as well as gaming livestreams and LAN sessions based on the young people’s interests and wishes, says Plosila.

The soundproofed band room will feature all the essentials for aspiring bands, including a drum kit, electric guitar, bass guitar, and keyboard. The idea is that young people will be able to book the room for an hour at a time, for example. The band room can also be used for organised activities led by youth workers.

Cooking together and warming up snacks

The youth centre’s main lounge has a cosy, homely atmosphere.

– It’s important to young people that the space feels welcoming, with features such as warm lighting. And, of course, there’s the staple of every youth centre – a pool table.

The main lounge area includes a spacious open-plan kitchen where young people can cook together as part of supervised activities and heat up their own snacks.

– We’ve already baked chocolate muffins using ingredients the young people bought themselves and shared them with others, says Plosila.

Shared facilities are proving a success

The new Sumppu is located in Pikkulahti, a newly built extension next to Isolahti School. In addition to the youth centre, Pikkulahti also houses classrooms for pupils who require intensive special need support, as well as before- and after-school activities.

Pikkulahti is a shoe-free building, so everyone leaves their outdoor shoes in the entrance area.

– The young people took a bit of getting used to it at first, but overall, it’s gone very smoothly. We’ve managed to bring together all the different activities in the building really well, says Plosila.

Open house at Sumppu on 7 October

The building also has a dedicated outdoor area for young people, with benches, outdoor gym equipment, a ping pong table, and a graffiti wall.

The official opening of Youth Centre Sumppu, and of the Pikkulahti building as a whole, will take place on Wednesday 7 October from 17.30. Parents and anyone else interested are welcome to come and explore the new facilities.

Youth Centre Sumppu

• Target group: Year 7 pupils and young people up to the age of 18
• Opening hours: Mondays and Thursdays, 16–20.30, and Fridays and Saturdays, 16–21.30 (closed every other Monday)
• Keep up to date with activities and events on Sumppu’s Instagram account: @nuorisotalosumppu