Community facility still going strong
Pictured is Annie Roy-Barker,Secretary, Trustee and Treasurer,Hilary Biles, chairman and trustee member of the Glyme Hall management committee, and fellow trustee member Chris Butterworth.
A youth and community centre in Chipping Norton is still going strong one year after opening.
Glyme Hall was opened by Prime Minister David Cameron on January 20, 2012 and is run by a management committee led by Oxfordshire county councillor Hilary Biles.
The project nearly didn’t go ahead due to government funding cuts, but a team of 13 volunteers along with Mrs Biles secured a £28,000 grant from Oxfordshire County Council’s Big Society Fund.
Mrs Biles, chairman of the management committee, said: “It is going extremely well and there are lots of people using it every day, including Saturdays and Sundays and youth groups two days a week and Oxfordshire Mind for example.
“I am absolutely delighted with how things are going at Glyme Hall. We have managed to secure another year of funding due to all the different groups using it. Everybody loves it.”
Revenue gained from hiring the facility out will cover the running costs for 2013.
Numerous groups use Glyme Hall including Chipping Norton Community Church, which was one of the first groups to use the facility.
Paul Meathrell, pastor, said: “We were renting another premises in the town that wasn’t quite what we were looking for and came into contact with Hilary about Glyme Hall.
“As a result, we were the first ones to use it back in January 2012, and as a brand new building the facilities are excellent.
“There are different rooms we are able to use for the kids groups for example and the enclosed garden keeps them safe when they are outdoors.”
Facilities at Glyme Hall include an activities hall, kitchen, classroom with IT facilities and a social room and meeting room. The council uses the centre as a base for its adult education courses.
Mr Meathrell said: “I have lived in Chipping Norton for about 12 years, and this is a good place for the community. It is certainly an improvement on what was in the town before and is flexible, offering something for everyone.”
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Tuesday 21 May 2013
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