Future looks brighter for community centre

Further investment is being sought for a community centre that is being well used again after it was close to closing down six months ago.

Newark’s Hawtonville Community Centre has been given a £1,000 grant for refurbishment, which new operator Newark and Sherwood Homes hopes to use as a catalyst for more investment.

It was suggested the centre should close if no means were found to increase its usage.

Six months ago it had just three bookings — an aerobics class, Bible class and healthy living drop-in service — but now it hosts numerous classes, activities, coffee mornings and events.

The £1,000 grant has come from Nationwide Windows to be spent on carpeting and redecorating the interior.

Mr Kevin Caveney, commercial sales director at Nationwide Windows, said: “We work with Newark and Sherwood Homes and the ethos of our business is to try to support the companies we work with.

“We were aware that Hawtonville Community Centre needed some investment and Newark and Sherwood Homes were getting involved in that.”

Nationwide Windows ran a competition for the opportunity to secure £1,000 of investment that was entered by Newark and Sherwood Homes.

Mr Caveney said: “We came down and had a look at the community centre and understood what they were trying to do and thought it was an opportunity to provide some support.

“We have done some of the windows and doors on some of the council homes in the area.

“Newark and Sherwood Homes now want to use this as a catalyst to try to get investment from other contractors.

“What was key from my point of view was the amount of community projects that they are looking to run from here.”

'It seems to be picking up again'

Rebecca Rance, chief executive at Newark and Sherwood Homes, said: “We are delighted on behalf of all the users of Hawtonville Community Centre that we have been successful in receiving grant funding to help redecorate the centre.

“The centre is currently being used to facilitate classes, activities, coffee mornings and events for local people.”

Newark and Sherwood Homes tenant Miss Jane Langford, of Clarke Avenue, said: “It is a great idea to invest in the centre because it gets it up and running again and it is good for the community.

“Before, it was used for all sorts of things for children and for the older generation.

“It seems to be picking up again and we have got gentlemen like this who are making a contribution towards the centre which will help a great deal.”

Hawtonville Community Centre was, until it was taken over, the only one in the district managed directly by Newark and Sherwood District Council.

Last year the council spent £15,323 on the building and received an income of £6,557 on bookings.

A report said a lack of community leadership at the centre meant the area was missing out on opportunities to apply for government and charitable funding.

There was also an impact on the ability to deliver a range of projects.

Last year Newark and Sherwood Play Support Group declared an interest in running the centre on a five-year, full repairing lease.

However, they pulled out after an unsuccessful bid to the Big Lottery’s Reaching Communities Fund.