PLANS have been unveiled for a new community centre in Warwick
New charity ‘Priory Pools Community Centre’ has been set up to fundraise to build the centre linking the Packmores Estate and Priory Park.
The new Priory Pools Community Centre will replace the existing Packmores Centre community room at Sussex Court on Lyttelton Road which local charity The Gap has been running alongside residents and local partners since 2015, after being awarded the contract by Warwick District Council.
The Packmores Estate is the most disadvantaged area of Warwick and is located in the area between Saltisford, Warwick Hospital and Lakin Road.
It has been identified by WDC and Warwickshire County Council as a priority area for a new community centre to help support local residents.
The current tiny community room is not adequate for the 1,000 homes it serves, with barely space for seven people to sit down. Due to the cost of living crisis there is an urgent need for a bigger space.
Marcos Campos, The Gap’s director, said: “It is great to have had the chance to develop the plans for the new community centre with local residents, who we have been working with for many years.
“We are excited that Priory Pools Community Centre charity is now in place to take this forward. We will continue to deliver services for local residents, and look forward to being able to use this amazing new community centre in years to come which will allow us to do so much more in the local area.”
“The Gap’ has been working with the new charity to find a location, gain support from local councils and design plans for the new centre. The new community centre will be built on the edge of Priory Park to provide a link between the estate and the open space with a cafe overlooking the play area in the park.
The trustee chair of the new Priory Pools Community Centre, and Packmores resident Amanda Burford was keen to see the centre become a reality.
“It has been a long-term dream to make this happen on the estate. This amazing new fully-accessible community centre will be a huge asset for the area and Warwick as a whole. It will be a really flexible space including interview rooms, a group room, and a large community space that can be divided for flexibility, plus a community cafe.”
The plans are now with WDC planning department and a decision is expected mid October. Once planning is secured the ‘Priory Pools Community Centre’ charity will begin an extensive fundraising campaign to raise the £2million building costs.
Janette Eslick, Priory Pools Community Centre trustee and lead fundraiser said: “We are calling on everyone in Warwick to support the fundraising for this new centre over the coming months.
“We are grateful to have already secured substantial support from Warwick District Council and other local trusts, with other funding discussions underway, but we do need the whole of Warwick to come together to help make this happen.
Visit www.priorypoolscc.org for further information or follow on Facebook www.facebook.com/PrioryPoolsCommunityCentre/
