£100k makeover brings Wolverhampton community centre back to life
A rundown building has been brought back to life to provide vital services and support to more than 600 households in Wolverhampton.
Bushbury Hill Estate Management Board, the lead organisation in the WV10 Consortium, has invested more than £100,000 into the refurbishment of the new Fifth Avenue Community Centre in Low Hill.
Family cooking sessions, after school clubs and business incubation space are all on the menu, with a special warm hub being held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 3pm.
The facility was officially opened on Tuesday by Wolverhampton Council Leader Ian Brookfield, with visitors able to enjoy a host of festive treats, from visiting Santa in his grotto and seeing real reindeer to fair rides and candle making.
There was live music and entertainment, including a special visit from the ‘naughty’ Grinch.
“The cost-of-living crisis is hitting Wolverhampton families hard, so to bring this vital venue back to life is a major breakthrough,” said Karen Williams, chief officer of Bushbury Hill Estate management board.
“Fifth Avenue has had a complete makeover, with extensive internal refurbishment and some landscaping to make the outside area accessible.
“The centre will be run by staff from the WV10 Consortium and a team of volunteers from Bushbury Hill Community Action Group - these are people who live in the area and understand the pressures people are facing.
“They use this knowledge to develop the services we are going to provide here. I can’t overstate how much of a difference this venue could make.”
Bushbury Hill Estate management board has taken on the centre though a successful community asset transfer and will run it five days per week with a variety of support services on offer.
A warm hub will be a key element of the service provided during the winter, with people invited to come down and enjoy hot drinks, play games, learn new skills, take part in batch cooking sessions and enjoy a tasty meal.
This will run initially for two days but could be extended if demand is there.
The Fifth Avenue Centre will operate The Household Support Fund, which financially supports families struggling to make ends meet through the provision of money to help with warmth and food and to support people who are struggling through what is a difficult winter.
It will also work alongside its fellow voluntary and community sector partners to deliver the WV10 Cookbook programme, where households can learn how to cook healthily on a budget and feed a family of four for as little as £30 per week.
Kim Payne, director of community action and training services and partnership manager at WV10 Consortium, added: “We are trying really hard to coordinate all of the different financial help available so that it reaches the families who need it most.
“At the same time, we need venues like ‘Fifth Avenue’, so I’m delighted to see it being brought back to life. It has a massive role to play in the community and will be vital in assisting 600 households to gain new skills, get access to food and a warm space where they don’t have to be on their own.”
The Fifth Avenue Community Centre is also keen to build on Wolverhampton’s enterprising pedigree, after it was named as the top entrepreneurial city in the UK by Superscript.
D&B Productions, a community-based arts and production company, has already called it home and has been joined by Cheeky Gorgeous Events and Kez’s Face Painting who will be collaborating together.
