Lottery grant aids community centre (From Barry And District News)

Lottery grant aids community centre

BARRY is a step closer to getting a brand new multi-purpose community centre thanks to a £300,000 lottery grant.

The proposed centre, a joint initiative between Barry YMCA and the Vale of Glamorgan Council, will be situated at Barry YMCA on Court Road and will offer vastly improved facilities for community programmes, sport and health and social care.

Anthea Clements, centre director, said:

"I am delighted - £300,000 is the absolute maximum available from the community fund.

"The total cost of the centre is over £2 million but much of it is dependent on securing this money from the community fund.

"We are now in the process of securing European funding but getting this wonderful news should make that process easier."

Linda Owens, chairman of Barry YMCA, said: "This is a flagship project underpinned by partnership between the local authority and the voluntary sector. If we're successful I'm sure that many other organisations will be looking at the methods we have used."

The centre will serve the wider community offering childcare and youth activities, an IT training suite, employment skills training courses, and drama and dance workshops.

The existing sports facilities will be enhanced to enable a wider variety of fitness and leisure classes for all ability levels.

The proposals also include a purpose-built social services day-care centre for the Vale's severely disabled.

Vale Director of Community Services James Cawley said: "The local authority realises that the rewards the local community will reap greatly outweigh the financial costs involved. We see this as a first step in the exciting regeneration process of Barry town centre."

Jeff Carroll, of the Community Fund, said: "We do not often award grants of this size but the committee identified this as being a project that could have a hugely beneficial effect on the local area."