Club stuck in past is given fresh start

When Janet Foster and Gerry Clarke first walked into the community centre on Summerhill Road in Coseley it was like stepping into a time warp.

“The building was opened in 1949 and a lot of it hadn’t been updated since then,” says Janet, who is chairman of Coseley Community Education Network.

“Until recently it was called The Sons and Daughters of Rest and it used to be popular with pensioners.

“However, times have changed and most pensioners now are not looking to go somewhere that sounds like they are waiting for God.

“Now the building is called Summerhill Community Centre and we have a snooker club, arts and crafts and we are looking for more people to set up clubs and activities.”

The network, which is a voluntary group set up by local residents, took over the running of the building from the council in 2003.

“When we first walked into the building it was like stepping back in time,” says Gerry.

“The kitchen was in a 1940s style, the toilet still had a pull-chain, there was no central heating, the carpets and curtains had holes in them and church pews and garden furniture were being used as seating.

“When the building was first opened it was used as an Air Raid Precaution post and there is still a fire watch tower on the roof, although no one can get up there as the stairs to it are rotten.

“In the 1960s the centre had a waiting list and people had to wait for a member to die before they could join.

“However, when we took over there were just eight members and they were struggling to keep the centre going.”

The network has spent around £8,000 revamping the centre and equipping it with a new kitchen, carpets, curtains and volunteers gave the walls a lick of paint.

“Volunteers under the Princes Trust scheme recently redecorated the interior and the network gained funding for disability access including toilets and kitchen facilities,” says Janet.

“It is intended that the centre should now be self-financing and is available for hire for small private functions as well as use by local community groups.

“We are hoping to set up a dominoes and chess club and there will be a meeting at the centre on April 2 to discuss this.” Gerry says the main thing is that local people know the centre is still open.

“We want any local community-minded residents to attend a meeting to help create a sub-committee to run the centre under the guidance of the network,” he explained.

“However, without local public support there is a danger that the building could close forever.”