Winnipeg's West End is one step closer to getting a space that would give inner-city youth a place to seek refuge 24-hours a day.

Jamil Mahmood, the executive director of the Spence Neighbourhood Association, said the West End 24/7 Safe Space would give vulnerable youth an alternative to staying on the streets at night. (CBC) A fundraising campaign was launched and plans for the West End 24/7 Safe Space were revealed Friday night at the West End Cultural Centre.

Kimberley Bouvette said she's known for years the area needed such a space. It was after hearing about the death and tragic story of Tina Fontaine that she was inspired to start a campaign to make the space a reality.

"You see it on hand, and somebody that young and the way that happened. I think that's what made me think that these kids need to be safe," said Bouvette.

By providing youth with an opportunity to get off the streets, the Spence Neighbourhood Association hopes vulnerable kids will be less exposed to the kinds of troubles that faced Fontaine and Rinelle Harper.

"A number of youths have been severely hurt and murdered from our streets in the West End," said Jamil Mahmood, the association's executive director.

"Kids that have been on the streets in the West End ... probably if they had a place like this, would have had a safe place to go, might not have met that horrible fate."

The organizations involved have been working on the project for seven months. Mahmood said they're hoping to raise at least $300,000 to get the space open on weekends and holidays. He estimated it could cost closer to $500,000 to keep the space open year-round.