A large village near Sudbury has celebrated the official reopening of its much-loved community centre following a £500,000 refurbishment and extension.
The Stevenson Centre in Great Cornard has been the village’s community hub since it was built in the late 1960s, but the well-used building needed a revamp to bring it up to modern standards.
The extension and refurbishment, which was carried out by Concertus Design & Property Consultants and SEH French, has created a fit-for-purpose facility for villagers to enjoy.
In 2012, through consultation and feedback from centre users and the community, Great Cornard Parish Council decided to address the issues of capacity and to meet the needs of the growing number of elderly residents and health support groups using the facility.
The £500,000 project provided a new extension to the main building, housing a large community room and kitchenette, two further meeting rooms, extra storage and toilet facilities.
The main improvements to the existing building saw the centre’s hall lights replaced with long life low energy units, the roof insulation replaced, and the refurbishment of the toilets and the installation of a new kitchen.
Funding for the project was provided by the earmarked funds put aside by the parish council, a Public Works Loan Board loan and grant contributions from Great Cornard Town Land Charity, The National Lottery- Big Lottery Fund, Babergh District Council and Lord Belstead Trust.
Annett Thompson, senior project manager at Concertus, said; “This project is an excellent example of teamworking between the client, contractor and consultant.
“Close collaboration with the parish council enabled the centre to remain open throughout the works and ensure best value was achieved. I am proud to say I was part of the influential team that delivered this successful project.”
The parish council acknowledged the work of the Stevenson Centre Working Party who ensured the project was delivered on time and within budget.
The council’s staff, all the members of the council since 2015 who supported the project, the Sudbury Community Wardens, the centre’s users, architects Concertus Design and Property Consultants and the project’s builders SEH French were also thanked.
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