David Cameron is Breaking new ground in Charlbury
After years of planning and fundraising, construction of the £2million Charlbury Community Centre is set to begin. Former Witney MP, David Cameron, marked this milestone and recognised the work of the volunteers who have made the project a reality in a ground-breaking ceremony held on Friday 16 September at the site of the new centre.
Speaking at the launch, Mr Cameron said "I have been very impressed with the work of the dedicated volunteers who have spent many years taking the Charlbury Community Centre project from design to construction. This is an enduring gift to the town, led by local people, and I'm proud to see such an innovative project developed by my local community."
Designed to complement the town's existing social and sporting facilities, the state-of-the-art building will provide recreational and educational amenities for all ages and interests, and widen the range of activities available to local residents and surrounding communities. Large enough to accommodate sports such as five-a-side football, netball, basketball, volleyball and badminton, it will also provide year-round opportunities for Charlbury's existing sports clubs to play and practise. The building will also house a new modern library with IT facilities and WiFi, as well as meeting places and a flexible community, youth and cafe area.
At the heart of the project is Charlbury charity, The Thomas Gifford Trust, whose roots go back to the 16th century. The Trust owns the land upon which the centre is being built with the charity's team of volunteers managing the project on behalf of the community. Trust chair, Mrs Marjorie Glasgow, said "We are all extremely grateful to Mr Cameron who, has provided invaluable on-going support and encouragement.
"We have received funding support from local, regional and national organisations, whose high standards and challenging criteria required us to deliver a very high quality project."
"Without the hard work of the people of Charlbury in raising funds, along with the time and technical expertise given freely by my current and past trustees and others in the fields of design, development, construction, finance, and project management, the community centre would still be just a dream."
Funds have been raised by the Charlbury Community Centre Appeal and from private donations, grants, Sport England and local authorities, including Charlbury Town Council. The Centre will be managed on a not-for-profit basis by professional staff funded by its income, supported by a core group of volunteers.
The building has been designed to meet environmental and energy performance standards. Main contractor, E W Beard Ltd, will take control of the site at the end of September, with the centre scheduled to open in autumn 2017.
For further information contact Marjorie Glasgow ?" mglasgow@theridgegroup.com
daniela jenkins · Sat 17 Sep 2016, 18:02 · Link