Community centre's £200k upgrade offers free laundry
The Garden Room opens out to a community garden
- Published
Residents in one of Blackpool’s most deprived neighbourhoods will be able to do their laundry for free following the completion of a £200,000 upgrade to a community centre.
Claremont Park Community Centre's revamp means it can now offer education, cost of living advice and children’s play sessions.
Investment in a new kitchen and laundry area also means people can visit the hub to get their washing done or learn to cook healthy meals.
The centre was converted from a library in 2004, and the latest improvements have been funded by the council.
Laura White has asked members of the community to come forward with ideas for the centre
Some of the original features of the building, such as cornicing and windows, have been preserved.
Trustee Laura White said: “We will be holding cooking sessions to help local people manage their cost of living by teaching things like batch cooking.
“We have also put in washing machines and dryers, which are free to use if people bring their own detergent, or just £1.
"It’s proving really important in an area like Claremont where people may struggle with the cost of electricity and a lot of the homes here have nowhere where people can dry their clothes.”
The centre on Claremont Road, North Shore, has had very little investment in the years since it was created from the former library so work has also included roof repairs, new floors, a heating system and new boiler.
Two large activity rooms have been created which will host social events including a Chatty Cafe held on Tuesday mornings, Chatty Play for young families, karate, a spiritualist group, Blackpool and the Fylde College courses for adults and art sessions.
Meanwhile, the Garden Room opens out on a community garden, where volunteers have been busy planting flowers and there are plans to develop an orchard.
Ms White said more activities are planned as she called on members of the community to come forward with what they would like to see at the centre.
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