Alcester to benefit from restored community hub
A SUPERB team effort by volunteers means the Alcester Community Shed is on schedule to open in September if not before.
Fund raising to the tune of £140,000, achieved through local authority grants and donations has transformed an old disused squash court building which had lain empty for a number of years, into a brand-new community hub which is about to enter the next important phase of its renovation.
The community shed is owned by Alcester Town Council And from the outset the goal has been to create a community space for men and women to meet regularly for craftwork, company and camaraderie and while the venture is modelled on the Men’s Shed movement there will be plenty of scope for other groups in the Alcester community to rent out space and book time for their various activities.
Alcester Town Councillor, Mark Cargill, told the Herald what happens next with the project.
“With the main renovation work almost complete, the next, and arguably the most important phase, is to fit the shed out. There are two main areas. The first is the public space where we anticipate hosting the more general activities such as the popular repair café.
The second area is the workshop where we hope to acquire a number of machine tools enabling many things to be made. Apart from the core users, the Men’s Shed, this is effectively a blank canvas which we hope our residents will be able to use to its full advantage,” Cllr Cargill said.
He admits that turning a “sad” looking building into a community asset which will hopefully last for decades has been “rather humbling”.
There’s every reason for those involved to feel proud of their combined achievements because the shed is now a weathertight, safe and warm space with a brand-new roof, kitchen, toilets with disabled access, LED lighting and electrics and has wheelchair friendly ramps plus an air-source heating and ventilation system and fire doors.
“We have tried to make the building as eco-friendly as possible with a goal to have solar panels in the future and importantly, we have enough money to complete the project.
Cllr Cargill said. “We’ve had great support from Warwickshire County Council’s leveling up fund and Stratford District Council’s rural economy fund. Then there is the fabulous team effort from the volunteers like the town clerk, Vanessa Lowe and Wendy Sherwood, the health and wellbeing coordinator and of course all the volunteers who have made this happen. We are trying to get a celebrity to come along and officially open the Community Shed in September.”
