WESTBURY’S former youth centre could be brought back to life as a community hub after governors at a nearby school grew tired of watching it sit empty.
The building off Eden Vale Road has been closed for years since it fell victim to Wiltshire Council dismantling its youth service. Now, governors at the nearby Westbury Junior School are planning to set up a trust to open the centre for local schools, organisations and clubs.
Led by headteacher Richard Hatt and chair of governors, Ian Cunningham, the trust will need to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds to get the building up and running, but they hope to see it host community groups and activities for young people in the future.
Ian said, “The school has improved a lot in recent years so we’ve been looking at ways to boost offerings outside of school hours and for the wider community.
“We’ve spoken to over 30 organisations and been met with great enthusiasm about bringing the building back into use. I definitely think it would fulfil a need.
“It would be centred around the junior school, infants school and children’s centre, but we’d like to see other groups and youth activities get involved.”
The project is in its early stages, but the team want to hear from local organisations who are interested in getting involved.
Richard Hatt, head at Westbury Juniors said, “We want our new community centre to fit with the school’s mission to create a vibrant learning environment.
“A long term dream of ours is to raise the aspirations and quality of life for the whole community; I feel that we have a great privilege to have the opportunity to achieve that.
“I am keen to hear from community groups who may want a space in our centre. We are endeavouring to be a break-even charity, so would only need a maintenance and small management charge to secure a tenancy.”
Sport and health will be one of the main focuses of the centre and talks are being held about involving the town’s youth football club. It could also be used to offer more after-school and holiday clubs, or for a coffee shop for parents.
To find out more about getting involved, contact Richard at the school on 01373 822695.
Ian added, “The area of town around Oldfield Park is one of the most deprived in Westbury and in the top 20% of deprivation in the country. This building is an asset and we want to use it to improve the lot of people living in the area.”
