Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
New £13m centre ‘is exactly what we need’
RESIDENTS, staff and politicians have heralded the opening of the new £13 million community centre as a landmark moment for Menzieshill.
The Menzieshill Community Hub was officially opened by Lord Provost Ian Borthwick.
Members of the public were given a chance to check out the wide range of activities on offer before the lord provost cut the red ribbon.
Mr Borthwick praised the positive impact the new centre could have on people living in the area.
He said: “It’s an excellent facility for the community.
“I am confident this will be very important and will last for many years to come.
“Every community faces challenges but I think this is the means by which they can be counteracted and it encourages a good community spirit.
“The staff here are very committed and I have no doubt this hub will go from strength to strength.”
Menzieshill Community Hub replaces the old Menzieshill Community Centre and Library, and boasts two sports halls, a library, a community centre with multi-purpose rooms and a cafe.
The new building opened to the public in September, but yesterday’s opening was the first chance for many people to see just what was on offer.
Moira Fisher, 64, who had worked at the old community centre for 30 years, expressed her delight that the area had finally got an upgrade.
Moira said: “It’s very nice and it is also a big improvement on the last one.”
“This has been needed as the last centre was falling to pieces and it was sad to see.”
Lesley Agnew, who works as an information officer at the centre, pointed to the increased numbers of people using the library as an early indication of success. She said: “The new set-up is a lot more welcoming to people coming in. The numbers of people using the library are up already.”
Maureen Mackay, vice-chairwoman of the hub management team, said: “This is a huge improvement on what we had before – it’s exactly what we needed.”