Gamesley community hub’s rallying call to raise £37,000 to save the building
Jahmal Williams-Thomas spoke to those who use the community centre in Glossop
A community in Glossop is fundraising to buy its community centre building after Derbyshire County Council announced it would be closing it earlier this year.
The building houses a boxing gym and a youth centre operated by Move More Glossop and was originally built in 1970 through a ‘Buy-a-Brick’ scheme. Ironically, the community are having to buy their own centre once again for £37,000.
Volunteers, parents, and young people have all taken part in fundraising efforts, including car washes and a sponsored "skip-a-thon", and a raffle. They've also put up an online crowdfunder.
Gamesley, in the High Peak, is one of the most deprived areas in the country.
The estate was built in the 1960s as part of the slum clearances of Manchester.
Its origins lie as a Roman fort renamed ‘Melandra’- which also lends its name to the road surrounding the estate.
Since 2010, funding from youth services have been cut by over 76% in the region, signalling concern in the youth work profession.
Gamesley Community Centre is just one of hundreds of youth centres that have been under threat or have been shut down.
Helen Thornhill is the Project Lead at Move More Glossop and looks after the youth club in the building: "The anti-social behaviour has been down since we opened.
"The community is going to be very demotivated. They already feel undervalued so that’s just going to get worse. The inequalities on the estate will grow if we don’t do what we’re planning on doing."
The community has until the end of June to raise the funds.