Greenham Community Centre set for makeover

Greenham Common Trust is providing £250,000 for the refurbishment of the community centre

THE community centre in Greenham is set for a £250,000 makeover which will include a new youth room, stage and other major upgrades and improvements.

The money for the refurbishment comes from Greenham Common Trust, who will be taking over ownership of the building in the Nightingales estate on a long lease from West Berkshire Council.

Newbury's deputy mayor and chairman of the Greenham Community Association, Arthur Johnson, said the refurbishment work would truly make the building “the centre of the community”.

“The things they are going to do are absolutely fantastic. We can't wait for the work to be completed so we can use the centre to its full potential,” he added.

West Berkshire district councillor Billy Drummond (Lib Dem, Greenham), who is also on Greenham Parish Council, said: “I think this is a great day for Greenham, this secures the long term future of the building. It has been neglected over the years by West Berkshire Council, it is a bit tired and past its sell by date, but once it has been improved it will benefit the whole community.”

The upgrade will include transforming the former adjoining takeaway into a youth room, building a new kitchen, toilets and adding disabled toilets on both levels, a new heating and lighting system, a retractable partition on the stage to create another useable space, a new stage, major roof repairs and new windows and doors, plus a reconfiguration of existing walls to create more flexible space.

The start date for the refurbishment has yet to be confirmed.