16 April 2008
Wealden support for Diplocks Community Centre
Diplocks Community Trust's project to build a new Community Centre has been given a boost through a £15,000 capital grant from Wealden District Council.
This award is another essential step in securing the £560,000 needed to build a new, environmentally-friendly centre for the Diplocks community which has already been awarded £391,738 from the Big Lottery Fund Community Buildings programme.
Wealden District Council is looking to provide a further £10,000 in support for this scheme either this year or from its 2009-10 Community Grants Programme.
Two years ago Hailsham Town Council agreed to support the Diplocks Community Centre by pledging £25,000 towards the project subject to Wealden District Council matching it and is delighted that the centre is now well on the way to becoming a reality.
"The overall aim for this project is to build quality new facilities for computer classes, a job club, residents’ meetings, youth clubs and coffee mornings," said Councillor Bob Standley, Cabinet member for Finance and Assets. "The portakabins currently used as a community hall have passed their sell-by date and Wealden’s Community Grant will cover their demolition and the laying of foundations for a new building. In economic terms, Diplocks is among Wealden's more deprived housing estates and the community hall is a boost to everyone's efforts to improve people's social and economic opportunities."
"Wealden's grant is a most welcome contribution to the sum that the Trust has to raise," said Grace Cameron, Chairman of Diplocks Community Trust. "We are pleased that the Trust's efforts are gaining such strong support. In order to secure the Big Lottery grant, the Trust has six months to raise the remainder of the project's total budget of £560,000. Wealden's contribution to this essential Community Facility is a crucial step on the way to our target. The project now needs to find less than £150,000 in further funding, thanks to the combined grants of the District and Town Councils, which will act as an incentive to others to support the project."
Diplocks Community Trust has been working hard on this project for over five years. In the run up to making funding bids, Liz Padgham, Wealden's Grants & Voluntary Sector Support Officer gave the Trust, and other groups seeking a Wealden Community Grant, advice on their applications. Liz also helped the Trust to identify other sources of funding they would be eligible for, including the Big Lottery's Community Buildings fund. The Community Buildings fund is highly competitive, with only 200 of the original 2,076 applicants invited to submit a stage two application. The award for the Diplocks Community Centre is the 7th largest in England to date.
The new Community Centre is intended to provide much-needed modern, safe accommodation for various interest groups. These include a parent & toddlers group, creche, lunch club, after-school club, youth programme, job club, keep fit, adult education, arts and social facilities, computer training, and local groups such as Scouts and Beavers, and a table tennis club.
Once all the money is raised, construction work will start in January 2009 with completion due in September that year.
