Do something special to replace centre

While I fear it is a fait accompli and that the council’s real agenda is to sell the land off the former Bockhanger Community Centre site to the highest bidder, I will share my idea of what could be done.

I have lived in Bockhanger for many, many years and I went to school at Bybrook Junior School.

Bockhanger is an area with severe economic challenges. Many of the people struggle to make ends meet.

There are also a lot of elderly people who live alone.

Having a place to go and meet other people, have a cup of tea in the warmth is of huge value on a mental health level alone.

Mental health is a massive issue facing society and Bockhanger is no exception. What value could be placed on a community centre with a community cafe?

Money invested here would pay dividends down the line in terms of avoiding massive NHS costs when it is too late. Young people in the area have little to do and no place to go in the vicinity. Is it really any wonder that kids end up getting into trouble? I watched with dismay as the community centre, a tremendous asset, was simply left to fall into ruins. So allow me a flight of fancy, to paint a picture of a new replacement community centre that would be a meeting place for people of all ages and ethnicities, a cultural hub that would become a template for other communities.

The community centre would be using the most environmentally friendly building standards and it would become a hub for Bockhanger to become carbon neutral, linking schools with all sorts of other groups to help the people of Ashford tackle climate change.

There are so many reasons why, with a bit of creativity, vision and investment, a new community centre in Bockhanger could become a self-sustaining vibrant hub serving the community’s physical mental, emotional and spiritual needs.

Down the line there would be considerable cost saving because of the measurable benefits to well-being (decrease in obesity, diabetes ,mental health improvement, etc) as well as giving young people a sense of purpose. It just takes vision, courage and a desire to do what is right on the part of Ashford council to make it happen.