Campaign aims to keep community centre open

9:44am Sunday 24th August 2008

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TADLEY Community Centre has launched a fund-raising campaign to ensure it can remain open during the winter.

For the past year, the centre, in New Church Road, has had problems with its boilers and now faces the possibility of closing its doors during the cold winter months, unless enough cash to pay for new ones can be raised.

Currently, the Tadley and District Community Association, which runs the community centre as a charity, has raised just over three quarters of the £23,000 it will cost to replace the three-boiler heating system and get the centre's hot water and heating working again.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, which owns the building and leases it to the association, has contributed just under £17,500 and Tadley Town Council has given £2,500 towards the cost. The Tadley Under Fives Pre-school, which uses the centre, has given £400.

The controls for the new heating system will be paid for with a £2,600 grant from the town's Turbary Allotment Charity.

Mandy Atkinson, community centre manager, said: "The community centre is run as a charity, so we are never in a position where we will have such a large amount of money in reserve.

"If we can't raise the money to replace the boilers, then the centre may have to close over the winter, but we are not panicking yet.

"We have written to businesses in Tadley to see if they can help, and we have already had some kind donations from the N G Palace Restaurant, as well as Nash Contractors.

"We are doing everything we can to get enough money together, and I am very hopeful that we should be able to raise it."

The centre will be holding a fundraising car boot sale on Saturday, September 6, from 10am to noon.

To book a table, or to donate to the cause, contact 0118 9814538.