A POPULAR Uttoxeter community centre is set be given new lease of life thanks to a £10,000 makeover.
Heath Community Centre, in Holly Road, will be given a brand new look with the funding which was provided with the support of a coalition of town councillors.
The improvements will include an extended frontage to the building, upgraded heating and new flooring and lighting. There will also be more space inside, with the refurbishment of the Chris Nash room and another meeting room from a storage area.
New chairs for the hall and new window blinds will be included in the makeover, which will also draw on the community centre’s own funds.
The work is being funded by a combination of East Staffordshire Borough Council’s neighbourhood community funding, the local community fund of county councillor Geoff Morrison and the Ward Action Service Plan of Heath Ward with Uttoxeter town and borough councillors Martin Blencowe and Andrew Riley.
Councillor Morrison said the contribution from his fund would be money well spent.
He said: “The Heath Centre is used by so many local groups that it is an excellent way to make a comparatively small amount of money go a very long way.
“I think users of the centre will notice the difference and appreciate the smarter appearance.”
The community centre hosts 24 regular bookings every week and adult and children’s parties at weekends.
Regular groups who use the hall include drama, dance, zumba, karate, bingo, crafts, ceramic painting, recorders, a junior choir, keep-fit and box-fit sessions and boot camp, Specsavers Hearing Aid distribution, a distribution centre for the Mediline medical carers service, soccer tots, sport in the hood, the Harvey Girls, Uttoxeter Action Group and a dog training club.
Volunteer coordinator for the centre, Vin Bradley said they are very grateful to the councillors for helping with the funding.
“It’s the largest amount spent on the centre in one go since I have been involved here. We’re very grateful to the councillors for helping to make this happen,” said Mr Bradley.
“It’ll make the centre more appealing to all its users, young and old.”
Almost half the public funding will come from the neighbourhood community fund, £1,056 is from County Councillor Morrison’s fund and more than £800 from the two ward councillors, Councillor Blencowe and Councillor Riley.
This comes as another boost for the Heath community following news it is to get a £1 million windfall over the next 10 years from the Big Lottery Fund.
East Staffordshire Borough Council revealed last month that the area has been awarded Big Local Area status by the lottery fund and would receive at least a million pounds.
It comes from the Big Local programme and is funded through a £200 million Big Lottery Fund investment and managed by the Local Trust. Big Local is helping 150 small urban and rural communities across England to make their areas even better places to live. The money will enable residents to identify priorities that matter to them.
