Community centres throw open their doors again to public
Community centres are the lifeblood of towns and villages, which is why people of all ages will welcome news they can reopen their doors to English public on Super Saturday July 4.
For many residents they are the social hub, a place where mums and toddlers meet, children attend youth clubs, dads burn off the pounds at an exercise class or grandparents meet for board games or knit and natter sessions.
Families can see films on the big screen, listen to concerts and watch their local amateur theatre company in action just a stone’s throw from where they live.
Community centres are also places for celebrations, proving popular for wedding receptions and birthday parties.
They are venues for charity fundraising events such as bring and buy stalls or coffee mornings and some even host religious services.
In towns, such centres offer help in time of need, whether it be a collection point for food parcels or a place to bed down in should homes be flooded or hit by another natural disaster.
They can also be seats of learning for people to improve their skills through evening classes or discover more about the world through talks by specialists.
How many of the above activities will be allowed to go ahead from July 4 has not been indicated, although the government has stipulated that no indoor exercise or fitness classes are allowed, especially as gyms haven’t been permitted to reopen yet.
Live music and theatre performances are also currently banned to contain the spread of coronavirus.
Any groups which are allowed to return to community centres will have to sit at a safe space apart and there will probably be a limit on how many people can be in a community centre at one time.
People visiting and working in community centres will have to adhere to the one metre social distancing which will put the kibosh on dances or parties where people mingle closely.
Trying to keep tots within that one-metre limit would be hard work so community centres may be governed by the same measures as indoor play centres and softplay areas which are unable to reopen at present.
More than 9,000 community centres and village halls in England and Wales are registered as charities so they will be keen to get back to business as usual.