Community centre reopens after £90,000 refurbishment

The former Park Springs Community Centre on Riseholme Road has been reborn as the Gainsborough Uphill Community Centre following the revamp.

An £82,000 grant from WREN and £9,000 grant from West Lindsey District Council has helped to transform the building into a purpose-built centre providing much-needed services to local residents of all ages, with many of the new activities being showcased on its launch day.

A further £4,230 grant from IGas funded the purchase of three collections of external play equipment to allow a new toddler group to start running from the centre.

Although owned by social housing provider Acis, the redevelopment has been led by a steering group made up of officials from West Lindsey District Council, Lincolnshire County Council, Lincoln College, Riverside Training, Sills and Betteridge solicitors, Acis, as well as four local residents.

The centre was previously not being used to its potential due to the building’s layout and activities on offer. Thanks to the redevelopment and further community engagement work, the centre will now play host to an array of different activities including employability training, yoga, youth performances, bingo, mental health services, smoothie making, knitting, sewing, table top sales, IT workshops, energy saving workshops, disability awareness sessions and dodgeball.

The on site shop has also been transformed and is set to open in the coming months after a competitive tendering process.

Acis’ community engagement coordinator, Lucy Picksley, said: “Residents said they wanted a better community centre and that’s what we’ve given them. It wouldn’t have been possible without the leadership of the steering group behind this redevelopment. Their great leadership has brought residents’ vision to life.”

The centre’s new branding including its logo and ‘bringing communities together’ strapline were created by school children who attended last year’s Firecracker initiative run by Acis in partnership with Lincolnshire Police.

WREN is a not-for-profit business that awards grants for community, conservation and heritage projects from funds donated by waste and resource management company FCC Environment through the Landfill Communities Fund.

WREN’s grant manager for Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, Cheryl Raynor, said: “We are delighted to have supported the Gainsborough Uphill Community Centre and pleased that our funding has helped to provide such a fantastic facility for the local community. WREN is always happy to consider grant applications for projects that make a difference to local communities and this project demonstrates the different local people can make.”

Chairman of the Prosperous Communities Committee at West Lindsey District Council, Coun Owen Brierley, said: “The council is delighted to support the development of the community centre and the benefits it will brings to local people in Gainsborough and the surrounding area.”

The centre is available for hire. To find out more, call 01427 611 666 or 01427 678 000. You can also keep up to date with all the activities over on the centre’s brand new Facebook page at www.facebook.com/GainsboroughUphillCommunityCentre.

Acis provides affordable housing across Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire.

For more information about Acis, visit www.acisgroup.co.uk.