City community centre bids for Big Lottery cash

Release Date:  03-Nov-2008

Bristolians are being urged to get behind a local community centre which is bidding for a share of National Lottery cash.

Meadow Vale Community Centre is among eight projects shortlisted in the South West region category of the Big Lottery Fund's ‘People’s Millions’ which will be decided by a TV vote later this month (November 27, 2008). Five winners will receive awards of up to £50,000 each.

The committee for the community centre, a former council depot which was handed over in 1985, is seeking funding in order to expand its range of activities.

The centre, which has a meeting room, a small kitchen and a toilet, runs activities include card afternoons; coffee mornings and jumble sales.

It is the only community facility on the Speedwell estate in Bristol, but its layout and state of repair means it is not able to run any activities for young people and is barely suitable for hosting the activities it currently provides.

Over the past two years the committee have had to turn down requests for the following activities due to lack of space: cubs; scouts; brownies; guides; Slimming World; an aerobics class; a judo club and the model railway society.

The revenue lost because of having to decline these activities is around £200 a week. The centre has not received funding since a small grant in 2004 to improve the toilet facilities.

In order to extend the range of facilities for groups of all ages and expand the available space, a bid has been submitted to The National Lottery ‘Peoples Millions competition’ for funds to provide an additional temporary building. 

Councillor Ron Stone, ward member for St George West, said: “It’s vital that Bristolians get behind the bid and vote for the centre when the People’s Millions competition is held on November 27.

"The centre is situated in an area which has missed out on regeneration funding in the past and winning will offer an important boost.

“We now have a fully-costed improvement scheme and business case we can use at any time to further promote and develop new or extra community facilities at Meadow Vale in the future."

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