Last updated at 21:01, Thursday, 09 August 2012

A desperate plea for younger people to breathe new life into a High Harrington community centre has been made by its new board of trustees.

HERE FOR YOU: Members of the committee at the community centre at Crooklands, High Harrington, from left, Marjorie Rae, Dorothy McAvoy, Sally Jemson, Sid Remph, Muriel Johnstone, Janet Scherer and John Somerset

The High Harrington Social, Educational and Community Centre, at Crooklands, has had a £60,000 revamp over the last three years.

It is throwing open its doors in the hope of attracting fresh ideas and forming a younger committee.

The centre has created many happy memories for residents over the years but as many of its regular users have got older it has been used less and they are desperate to get some younger people involved to keep it going.

A new board of trustees has been set up and they are hoping to form a new committee at their next meeting in September.

Marjorie Rae, of Springfield Avenue, is the county councillor for Harrington, Clifton and Stainburn, and raised the £60,000 to revamp the centre.

It has had a new roof, internal cladding, central heating, flooring and has been rewired.

Coun Rae said: “Half of the people who live round here don’t even know where this place is. We want to put it on the map and really keep it going.

“We have got to look to the future now, we need younger people to keep it in use, bring in fresh ideas and feel like they are a part of it.

“The community centre is for everyone, it is open for parties, weddings, funerals or for any groups that want to hire it.”

Muriel Johnstone, 84, of Kiln Green Avenue, has been involved in the centre for 45 years and used to run a mother and baby group, youth clubs, dances and day trips at the club.

She said: “It means everything to me to see this keep going I don't want to lose it after all this time. We want to see some younger people getting involved.”

John Somerset, 63, of Scaw Road, used to run the Post Office in High Harrington and has taken on the roles of secretary and treasurer to the board of trustees.

He said: “I wanted to get involved to make sure the centre keeps going. There is a huge amount of potential here. It is about getting back to recognising everyone in the community and everyone being in it together without a divide between young and old.”

Dorothy McAvoy, 70, of Kiln Green Avenue, is one of the new trustees and remembers coming to the centre as a girl.

She said: “I have a grandchild but there is nothing here for him to do.

“I would definitely like to see some fresh blood on the committee giving their ideas and getting the enjoyment out of it that we did.”

The meeting to form a new committee will be held at the centre at 6.30pm on September 6.

For more information, email marjorie@rae795.freeserve.co.uk

First published at 19:19, Thursday, 09 August 2012
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk