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‘Use it – or lose it!’
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| Above: Councillors Tim Crumpton and Richard Body and sequence dancers enjoy the community centre facilities. |
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A rally cry has been issued by Cradley councillors over the area's community centre which they fear could be forced to close if more people don't get behind it.
Cllrs Richard Body and Tim Crumpton have launched a desperate appeal for groups to use the centre on Colley Lane.
They say if people don't come forward it could be forced to close at the end of the year which, they say, would be a "travesty".
The pair are also asking for volunteers to help run it.
Cllr Body, who is chairman of the centre which was opened in 1979, said: "We are okay for the rest of the year but without getting regular groups there we can't really carry on paying the bills.
"It would be awful to lose it - it would be an absolute travesty."
The centre is only used by a dance group and a Darby and Joan club and is only booked on Wednesday and Thursday evenings and Monday and Tuesday afternoons - not nearly enough to pay the bills.
Richard and Tim have been running the centre since last October after stalwart Joyce Boxley, who is in her 80s and was the driving force behind the centre, was forced to give up the community work due to illness.
Cllr Body has done maintenance on the centre and has been taking bookings while Tim has been acting as treasurer.
They are struggling to fit the workload around their council duties and appealed for volunteers to come forward to act as caretaker, treasurer and administrator.
Cllr Body said: "We are asking for local people to get involved in the running of the place.
"It could be thriving again - it's a lovely place.
"We will do everything we can to prevent it from closing."
The centre has a kitchen, hall, bar, stage and toilets. It could be used by an array of groups incluing pet clubs, martial arts clubs, or for occasions including birthdays and weddings.
Anyone interested in using the centre or helping run it can call cllr Body on 01384 894003.
9:23am Friday 9th May 2008
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