UPDATE 28 July Total fundraising has just cleared £800,000, with a donation from the local Stroke Club, and a cluster of fundraising events run by members of St. Peters Church. Getting closer!
Building a new Community Centre for the Westfield estate in Yeovil, on the site of the old St. Peters Hall. We have raised nearly £800,000 of the £970,000 we need.
£2 will buy a brick, £20 will buy a square meter of hard-wearing flooring/carpet, £60 will buy a square meter of roof tile, but anything you can give will help!
Our Story
St. Peter’s Hall has served Westfield estate since the 1960s, hosting everything from carnival clubs to youth clubs, pantomimes to community bingo. Set behind St. Peter’s church on Coronation Avenue, it is the only community hall on Westfield, an estate of 5,000 people.
Our Problem
In 2012 the hall was recommended for demolition, and has (at last count!) 15 serious faults.
At the same time St. Peter’s church began working with Westfield Community Association and the District Council to begin planning and dreaming of a replacement hall.
Our Vision
Now in 2018 those dreams are becoming real. Working with a local architect, a replacement Community Centre has been designed to serve the Westfield area. The new St. Peter’s Community Centre will have another 2 smaller meeting rooms for hire alongside a brand new main hall, plus an open plan foyer/community café area for people to drop in throughout the week. On top of that we'll massively improve the storage, kitchen, toilets, heating and disabled access.
As well as providing a home for the 15 regular groups which use the old hall, the new Centre will be a purpose-built venue for new commuity groups. It will also become a hub for community advice and support, with interest from Yarlington, CAB, and Somerset Libraries in using the centre to serve the estate.
The Money Bit
The new centre will cost £970,000! With the help of a £500,000 grant from the Big Lottery Fund, and grants from the District Council, Yarlington, Yeovil Town Council, the Church of England, Clarks Shoes and Yeovil Without Parish Council, we have raised £789,000 so far. This includes money raised by the Church and Community Association, and help from local businesses such as Battens, Wakeleys, Rivetts and Abbey Manor Group. We are grateful for all this support, it is vital in making the project a reality.
The Future
The new centre will be run by the Church and Community Association in partnership, and will be a great venue for hire, a base for support and advice for the whole community, and a local drop in which is open throughout the week.
