A campaign to save the Tudorville Youth Centre in Ross-on-Wye from closure is being launched by the local community association.
Local residents will be invited to give their views on the proposals at a public meeting at the centre on Saturday, February l3, starting at 2pm.
The aim of the meeting is to put it on a secure footing for the future.
Colin Gray, chairman of the Tudorville Community Association, warned that if nothing was done the centre wouldface closure in March.
If this happened, the building would probably be knocked down.
To avoid this happening, it is proposed to approach the Herefordshire Council to hand over ownership of the centre to the community association for a nominal sum.
In return the association would provide a commitment to use the centre in a responsible manner for the benefit of the local community.
That would require more volunteers to strengthen the community association and the adoption of a business plan aimed at running the centre as a viable business like other community centres and village halls in neighbouring districts.
Antony Lowther and Councillor John Edwards, of the Ross Sports and Leisure Federation, have volunteered their support for the plan.
They belive it will work well provided there is sufficient backing from the local residents.
Councillor Edwards said the federation was worried that there was already a shortfall in the provision of adequate sports and leisure activities in Ross, especially for the younger generation
It would be a disaster if the Tudorville Centre ceased to exist, he added.
Mr Lowther said his experience with the Whitchurch Village Hall provided a model for what could be achieved with hard work from volunteers, committed to helping the local community.
Although the Tudorville Centre needed some maintenance and repair work there was already some grant money available and a stable future could be achieved by matching expenditures with income generated by users of the centre.
Herefordshire Council’s Youth Service has decided that the Tudorville Centre is no longer suitable for its purposes and the council estimates that it would cost over £220,000 in repairs and modernisation, which is it not prepared to meet.
Colin Gray noted that in order to agree to hand over ownership of the centre, Herefordshire Council had to be convinced that there was sufficient support from the local community to run it properly.
Local residents, joining the association, would be responsible for day to day control of running the centre for the benefit of the local community.
Anyone wishing to obtain further information on the meeting can contact Colin Gray on 01989 567995.
