Urgent appeal for volunteers to save Peterborough community centre

The Belsize Community Centre in Woodston.

Belsize Community Centre on Celta Road, Woodston hosts a wide range of events including a day nursery, Slimming World clubs, martial arts classes and many other community events but has been impacted badly over the last year.

Specifically, a number of Woodston Community Association committee members, which helps run the facility, have either passed away or chosen/been forced to step down due to ill health or other circumstances.

In February, the centre’s extremely popular and dedicated volunteer caretaker John Burbage sadly passed away.

The Woodston Community Association is now in desperate need of volunteers to help keep the hall going and to assist in its asset transfer.

The community centre is one of over 40 Peterborough City Council-owned community facilities it is seeking to transfer into independent community management.

Residents interested in helping support the centre have been invited to a special rescue meeting at the site on September 16 at 7pm.

Cllr Andy Coles, who represents the Fletton and Woodston ward, said: “Since the pandemic struck, many community facilities have been unable to operate normally and in Woodston it has been no different. Woodston Community Association have also suffered the sad loss of our stalwart volunteer caretaker, John Burbage and other members of the management team have resigned or have had health issues.

“We now need to rebuild the committee and find local people who can help to keep this brilliant hall going into the future.

“I’m looking for a group of willing volunteers to give their time to rebuild the committee, to help in the day- to-day running of the hall, and also to take part in the Community Asset Transfer of the hall from the Council.

“If you live in the area roughly bound by Oundle Road at the northern edge, the Railway line to the East, Fletton Parkway to the South and Shrewsbury Avenue to the West, then you live in the ‘area of benefit’ and can serve on the committee with voting rights.”