‘Much Needed’ Refurb Sees Fresh Lease of Life For Community Centre

A Wrexham community centre has has been given a fresh lease of life after the first stage of a ‘much-needed’ refurbishment project was completed by a team of volunteers.

Local groups and volunteers from all over Wrexham came to lend a hand over the two weeks of the project, which has seen the centre receive a brand new kitchen with high quality units, fittings, and service hatch, a new front entrance door, and new toilets. The interior walls have also been repainted and other building repairs carried out where needed.

Disabled facilities have also been improved thanks to a refurbished access ramp on the side of the building, and a newly installed disabled access toilet.

The project was carried out by Novus Property Solutions, a contractor who work in partnership with Wrexham Council’s Housing Service and are currently involved in the housing improvement works being carried out to ensure the County Borough’s social housing properties achieve the Welsh Housing Quality Standard ahead of the 2020 deadline.

A special handover event was held at the centre, last week, to celebrate completion of the work, and to thank all those who’ve been involved.

At the event, the refurbished centre was officially reopened by Margaret Williams, a member of the Pentre Gwyn, Tan Y Coed & Coed Y Bryn Community Association, who has organised weekly events at the centre for many years.

Fellow Community Association member, Brian Halley, spoke at the handover event and gave thanks to those involved: “This centre has been badly in need of renovating for a long time. It’s a very popular venue for various local groups and gets used several times a week, so these improvements will be much welcomed by everyone. It’s great to see the place looking like new again.

I’d also like to thank the local Community Council, who have done a lot to help keep the centre up and running, and have agreed to cover any shortfall in keeping the centre open for the last two financial years.”

Novus Property Solutions were first introduced to the Centre by local Councillor for Whitegate, Brian Cameron.

Cllr Cameron praised the workers who’d been involved, commenting, “The standard of the work that’s been carried out here is very impressive and really does show quality workmanship at its best. All our thanks should go to all the numerous groups who’ve been involved. Their hard work really is appreciated and I’m sure the regular users of the centre will be very pleased with the improved facilities. I’d like to thank Novus Property Solutions who’ve carried out the work and arranged for all the volunteers and suppliers to take part. ”

Novus Property Solutions enlisted the help of an impressive number of volunteers to help their staff with the work, and also offered work experience on the scheme for young people in the area. The groups involved included Wrexham Youth Justice Service, Caia Park Partnership and the local Youth Club, as well as budding volunteers from the Pentre Gwyn area.

Staff from Wrexham Crusaders (who have a sponsorship deal with Novus Property Solutions) also dropped by to lend a hand, including current Welsh international, Christiaan Roets.

Other subcontractors involved included JE Construction, Pro Plumb, XElec , Yorke Street Carpets, JWC Contracts Ltd, A&D Cleaning Services, JF Glazing, and Wrexham Trade Frame.

A spokesman for Novus Property Solutions commented, “We pride ourselves on our strong family values so being able to get involved by building links and engaging with the local community on projects like this is central to the way we operate as a business. I’d like to say a big thank you to all the local businesses and suppliers for their continued support throughout this project as without them this sort of community event could not be achieved within the timescales and budgets given.

We hope that the newly refreshed community centre will be used by the local community much more, bringing residents together in the future and we look forward to building on our relationship with the community in the years to come.”

More work in the centre is due to be carried out by Tesco in September, who will be renovating the main hall, before an official reopening for the whole centre takes place on September 19.

The project is one of numerous Community Benefit schemes that have been set up across the County Borough by contractors working with the Council’s Housing Service. Clauses are now included in all the Housing Service’s major contracts, requiring firms to create Community Benefit schemes and contribute something ‘extra’ back into the local economy.

As well as funding community projects like Pentre Gwyn Centre, Community Benefit schemes have also resulted in increased local spending by contractors, an employment boost for the local area, and an increase in modern apprenticeship schemes.

Community Benefit schemes have grown in the County Borough, as a result of the Housing Service’s increased spending on improvement works, to ensure their social housing achieves the Welsh Housing Quality Standard by 2020.

Lead Member for Housing, Cllr Ian Roberts added: “It’s great to see that our communities are seeing extra benefits from the housing improvement works being carried out. The work requires a massive investment and we are committed to ensuring that as much of this money as possible is pumped back into the local economy for the benefit of local businesses, community schemes and to create jobs and apprenticeships for our young people.”

Altogether, a total of £38m will be spent on housing improvements in Wrexham County Borough in 2015/16. This is funded from Council house rent income and a grant from the Welsh Government called the Major Repairs Allowance (MRA). The Welsh Government provides the Major Repairs Allowance Grant to local authorities who have retained their council housing stock. The MRA grant supports the achievement of the Welsh Housing Quality Standard, and for 2015/16, Wrexham Council has been awarded £7.5m.