New community centre opened in Whitley Wood
A NEW community centre has been opened in Whitely Wood … but it won’t be around forever.
The space in Lexington Grove was unveiled last week and will be fully open next month. It will be used by community groups offering a range of activities to residents.
It has the advantage of being larger than the buildings it is replacing: a temporary building in Swallowfield Drive which is now at the end of its life.
The new site is also temporary with work underway to find a new permanent site in the same area.
The centre is managed by the council which also manages Hexham Community Centre, Lyndhurst Community Centre, and Coley Park Community Centre.
The Sustainable Communities team will use these locations as a base to attract and engage with residents.
Cllr Micky Leng, lead councillor for planning and assets at Reading Borough Council, said he was delighted with the new community centre.
“It was fantastic to see over 40 residents attend the opening ceremony and I look forward to residents enjoying the new facility,” he said.
“There will be some introductory and taster sessions for residents to enjoy and try out before a regular programme of sessions is set for the centre.
“These are intended to encourage residents who are not currently engaged with local community activities to connect with voluntary and community organisations, as part of a process of building trust and identifying individuals or families who would benefit from additional support to improve the self-sustainability of their lifestyles.”