Residents of Kingsley, Cheshire, recently celebrated the reopening of their community centre after a grant from the Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund allowed them to redevelop the space.
Run by the Kingsley Community Association (KCA), the Kingsley Community Centre is a hub for residents, hosting a range of different functions and activities for local people.
A new £100,000 extension was made possible thanks to funding from several sources, including £15,000 from DEFRA’s Village Hall Improvement Fund, £35,000 from the National Lottery Community Fund and £15,000 from the Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund. The group also raised £35,000 towards the project through local fundraising activities.
The old community centre previously consisted of a large hall, function room, a kitchen and a bar, with the hall also turning into a pop-up theatre with tiered seating for 120 people. Following completion of the project, the new extension has added a further meeting space, which can also be used as a changing or green room for the increasing number of stage productions held at the centre.
Steven Williams, quarry manager at Tarmac’s nearby Crown Farm quarry, said: “It’s great to be able to attend the opening event and see the difference the extension has made to the community centre. The KCA has worked really hard to bring this project together and I’m sure it will be enjoyed by the local community for many years to come.
“Tarmac is committed to supporting the local communities around our operations, so we are really pleased to have been able to support this project with a donation from the Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund.”
Elizabeth Batey, chair of the KCA, said: ““The new extension to our centre is a great addition which will enable us to add to the services we can provide for the village. It was only made possible through the support of our main funders – National Lottery Community Fund, DEFRA’s Village Hall Improvement Fund and Tarmac – to whom we are very grateful.”
Kingsley Community Centre was built in 1976 and is used by the community for many different functions and events, including birthday parties, christenings, dinner dance and black-tie events. It is also used by various groups for yoga, Pilates, karate, Zumba and tai chi, as well as being home to the local youth group, women’s institute and gardening club. The centre has two resident theatre groups and hosts a variety of theatre and concert productions, including those subsidised by Cheshire Rural Touring Arts.
