People’s centre is given a new lease of life
THIS week, we are looking at the ABD Community Centre.
The building known as the Aged Blind and Disabled Centre was originally the Bacup Liberal Club.
It was purchased in the 1960s by Rossendale Borough Council and over the years has been used by a number of local clubs and organisations.
In 2003 Rossendale Borough Council considered closing the centre to save money. A group of residents felt the centre was important to the Bacup community, and formed a board of trustees and registered the group as a charity with Rossendale Borough Council retaining ownership of the building.
The board of trustees continued to deliver community activities and services. However, it was recognised that the centre needed to maintain its relevance in the community.
Consequently in March 2020, the centre applied for and were awarded three years’ lottery funding to re-vitalise the centre, providing funding to repair and refurbish the building while maintaining the building’s heritage and restore the lift installed in 1964, making the building accessible to all.
The grant also provided funds to appoint Peter Dunn as Centre Development Manager and work with a local marketing agency to look into rebranding the centre. The centre is now known as the ABD Community Centre and is looking to re-establish itself as a community hub, offering a range of services and activities relevant to the local community and beyond. The Bacup Family Centre is the first group to relocate to the ABD, and there is further office space and room hire available to other community and activity groups in Bacup and beyond.
You can check out progress on their Facebook page, and for further information on accommodation and activities, please contact
Peter Dunn at pdunn@ abdcentre.org.uk For support Network enquiries, email rosscsn43@gmail.com