Photo opportunity: Wednesday 8 June at 3pm– members of the Mildenhall Road Estate Community Association in Bury St Edmunds will be celebrating with mugs of tea and chocolate biscuits, news of funding from the Big Lottery Fund, which matches money pledged by St Edmundsbury Borough Council. They will be joined by Leader of the Council, Cllr John Griffiths.
Members of a local community group are celebrating news of funding they have just received from the Big Lottery Fund, which matches money pledged from St Edmundsbury Borough Council. Rather than celebrate the traditional way with champagne and canapés, the group decided they would do it with big mugs of tea and chocolate biscuits and put the money saved towards an extra chair or play bench for a planned community centre!
The Mildenhall Road Estate Community Association (MRECA) has been awarded £259,000 from the Big Lottery Fund towards the cost of building a new community centre on the Mildenhall Road Estate. They have already been awarded £250,000 from St Edmundsbury to help towards the cost of the new centre. Staff from St Edmundsbury’s Community Development Unit have been working with the group over the last few months, providing invaluable advice to help them put in an application with the Lottery Association for additional funds – now the fruits of all their hard work have paid off and the group is already planning how to spend the money.
The group currently use St Georges Hall that doesn’t have the facilities to cater for a wide range of needs. With the combined funding they will be able to build a community centre offering a greater range of facilities, such as meeting and training rooms, crèche, kitchen, community café, youth room, computer suite and a general hall where local people and groups can meet.
St Edmundsbury has also supported the community group with their Lottery bid by helping to fund a consultant, Jan Spencer and community project worker, Ken Fish. Part of their role has been to work with residents of the Mildenhall Road estate and local support organisations to come up with ideas for the building so that it meets the needs of a range of people – from luncheon and computer clubs, keep fit, crafts and sports classes to providing a venue for training, workshops and advice on education, health and well-being.
Alan Turner, Chairman of MRECA said:
“I can’t tell you how pleased I am with the news that finally after five years of planning, residents of Mildenhall Road Estate will have their very own community centre. I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the project and the support they have given us.”
Leader of the Council, councillor John Griffiths said:
"This is fantastic news. We have been working closely with the Mildenhall Road Estate Community Association to get this project off the ground and now that the Lottery funding has been secured, local residents can now look forward to having this much-needed facility soon.”
Work will start on the building at the end of summer and will take approximately ten months.
ENDS
Notes to editors
The photoshoot will take place at the St Georges Hall, Anselm Avenue, Bury St Edmunds
ISSUED BY MARIA STAFF, COMMUNICATIONS UNIT, ST EDMUNDSBURY BOROUGH COUNCIL. Tel 01284 757034. maria.staff@stedsbc.gov.uk
