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Thornton Community Centre – Sports Hall – building works
The trustees apologise for any inconvenience caused by the recent building work in the Sports Hall at the Community Centre.
The work has been carried out in three phases to minimise disruption.
PHASE ONE
To remove the Sports hall ceiling tiles, insulation and the brown felt wall and ceiling covering.
Earlier in the year there was a fire inspection at the premises and it was found that the tiles etc were not fire retardant,
The hall was in danger of being closed if the trustees had not taken remedial action. The old tiles, felting and insulation was removed and replaced with new fire retardant tiles and insulation (Tim Baker TLB Construction Ltd) and the hall decorated throughout (Dave Goodburn).
COST – £13,080
PHASE TWO
To provide two unisex toilets in the Sports Hall (additional to the disabled toilet) by utilising the space of the existing small kitchen and using a third of the Sports Hall storeroom space for a new modern, fully equipped kitchen with eye level oven and microwave, induction hob, and large fridge freezer. (Tim Baker TLB Construction Ltd).
COST – £24,500
PHASE THREE
After phase two was completed the trustees realised that there was an unacceptable level of noise (reverberation) in the hall, making it ‘uncomfortable’ for users to hear and concentrate. The decision was taken to engage a specialist company to address the problem.
Sound Reduction Ltd will be installing white, Sonata Aurio absorber panels across the whole of the ceiling. This work will take one day to complete and will take place on Wednesday 6th November in time for the two major forthcoming events – The Christmas Fayre (16th November) and the School pantomime.
COST – £5,577.60
TOTAL COST OF THE THREE PHASES OF THE PROJECT – £43,157.60
It is hoped that this work will lead to more bookings for the Sports Hall which can now be used independently of the Main Hall. The hall is already very popular for childrens parties with the safe use of a bouncy castle indoors. The trustees would welcome new user groups to the hall, especially for sporting activities such as ‘pickle ball’ the new sporting craze sweeping the country.
SECURITY
We now have the capability to lock the new kitchen and storeroom doors to enable regular user groups equipment to be stored safely.
FUTURE PROJECTS
There are a few minor internal works that still need completing (new main hall door, new flooring in the Main hall foyer, toilet and kitchen, bricking up an obsolete rotting door and frame plus major works outdoors – the erection of a decked area off the Main hall patio doors and the extension of the car park.
FUND RAISING
All the works completed so far have seriously depleted the Centre’s funds and no further projects can be carried out until we raise the necessary monies .
More than ever we need new fund raising ideas and helpers.
If you have any ideas or think you can help in any way, then please contact the trustees through this website.
Working for the Community – Thornton Community Centre
A small group of trustees manage the centre on behalf of the Community, and just prior to Covid they were working on a lengthy programme of refurbishments to be carried out at the 50-year-old Centre which was looking tired and dated.
As these plans for refurbishment began to take shape Covid struck, and the centre was closed for 16 months.
(The two halls are owned by the village community and sit on a plot of land extending to the hedgerow behind the centre and to the left of the path, leased from the Parish Council for a peppercorn rent).
The trustees apologise for the untidy state of the driveway borders. They have located architects’ plans at the Parish Council offices, which indicate that the land is not leased from the Parish Council, making them responsible for maintenance. If you are unhappy with the borders’ condition, please inform the Parish Council. Despite repeated requests to tidy the area, the response has been “there is no money available.” This situation reflects poorly on the Centre and the village.
Since reopening in July 2021, the trustees have created an online presence with this website and an associated digital booking system (Hallmaster).
New signage was erected above the hall doors and noticeboards on the driveway facing Main Street.
The felt roof on the Sports Hall was replaced.
Overgrown borders and hedges were cut back.
A large screen and projector were purchased for the Main Hall with a grant from Forterra Brickworks.
A freezer was purchased for the kitchen.
Two benches were purchased from grant money, and placed by the front door together with a planter donated by the Parish Council.
Continual blockages in the toilets for several years led the trustees to have the drains ‘scoped’, and it was found that they had collapsed in part and the whole drainage system had to be replaced
During the autumn of 2022, MDJ Developers and Johnson Wellborn decorators started major works refurbishing the main hall toilets and decorating the main hall, kitchen, toilet, storeroom, meeting room, foyer and sports hall foyer.
New modern, white doors were fitted throughout the centre and painted.
Glenfield Electrical rewired the Centre and installed LED lighting throughout the inside, and new external lighting.
After this work was completed a window cleaner was engaged to clean the fascia’s and windows on a monthly basis and the Main hall curtains were dry cleaned.
All this work contributing to the centre having a fresh, clean, spacious look making it more appealing to hirers.
In August 2023 another part of the flat roof had to be repaired, and a replacement extractor fan had to be fitted in the main kitchen.
The obsolete, external cameras were taken down.
Earlier this year a fire inspection was carried out it was found that the Sports hall ceiling and wall tiles were no longer compliant with fire regulations. To avoid closure of the hall the ceiling and wall tiles were taken down and replaced with new tiles and insulation, and the hall was redecorated throughout.
Currently major works are taking place in the Sports Hall. A larger fully equipped kitchen is being built, and the former small kitchen is being converted into two toilets.
MORE PHOTOGRAPHS TO FOLLOW ……..
In December last year plans were submitted to HBBC for permission to construct a decked area to the rear of the hall and to increase the car parking space by a further 27 spaces.
Planning permission was granted, however the unforeseen costs of replacing the drains and the Sports hall ceiling (£30,388) mean that there are insufficient funds to carry out these works, until fund raising, and grants allow.
The trustees have spent £98,000 over the past 3 years to ensure that the Centre is fit for purpose for the next 50 years.
Both halls make superb venues for all kinds of events, they can be used together or separately, with arguably the best view in the county overlooking the National Forest and the reservoir.
The Sports hall is a particularly safe space for childrens’ parties with room for bouncy castles inside the hall. The photographs show a recent Spiderman themed party.
Could you help your Community with fund raising through organising events, grants or donations to make these final proposals happen?
Would you like to be involved in securing the future of this wonderful resource for your community?
Then please contact us on email thorntonvillage@aol.com
For more information about the Centre (hire costs/photographs/booking system etc), check out the pages on this website dedicated to the Community Centre.
Gill Tapping (Trustee)
AGM – Thornton Community Centre
Thornton Community Centre – Trustees
Do you have a couple of hours a month that you could spare to help with the running of the Community Centre?
We have the most wonderful village resource at the Centre with two halls available to the local, and wider, community and a large plot of land to the rear, which although owned by the Parish Council is leased by the Trustees of the Community Centre for the benefit of the village.
Over the past two years the trustees have overseen a great many improvements at the centre (these include a new Sports Hall roof, replacement LED lighting throughout, new toilets in the main hall, decorating throughout, new drainage system), but there is still more to do to modernise this old building. The next major project is to replace the Sports hall sound proofing, create 2 extra toilets in the Sports hall and create a new, larger, improved kitchen area for the Sports hall. In recent months this hall has become increasingly popular as a safe space for childrens parties and we wish this to continue by improving these facilities.
Two major projects for the future is the creation of a decked area to run from the patio doors of the main hall, and to increase the size of the parking area by a further 20+ spaces. Whilst planning permission has been granted for these projects, the centre does not have sufficient monies to fund them without donations, grants and fund raising efforts.
We need your help to help make these things happen for the community.
Do you have time to help us raise funds, have any ideas on the type of events you would like to see at the Centre?
Please contact us at thorntonvillage@aol.com or join us at the AGM to have a conversation.
We are a small, friendly group of 7 trustees, but we really do need help and would welcome new members to join us to ensure the future of the Centre for years to come.
The trustees meet once a month at 7pm on (usually) the third Thursday evening of the month.
Thornton Community Centre – Mowing/Hedge Cutting
The trustees have recently agreed to take over from the Parish Council, the responsibility of mowing the grass, to the rear of the Community Centre.
It is hoped that by doing this the grass can be cut on a more regular basis and cut shorter to make that area more ‘usable’ to residents and visitors.
The boundary hedge will also become the Trust’s responsibility and will need attention 2 or 3 times a year.
But this comes at a cost.
Is there anyone local or do you know of anyone nearby that would be prepared to mow the grass on a regular basis for the village and/or trim the hedging when that becomes necessary. Terms to be negotiated.
Contact us please by emailing thorntonvillage@aol.com
Thornton 