BUSINESSES in Bradford have rallied round to help revamp one of the city's oldest purpose-built youth centres in the country.

Sedbergh Youth & Community Centre in Odsal has been given a new lease of life - thanks to £25,000 funding.

Centre manager Arnie Butterfield said the 1960s centre in Huddersfield Road had been struggling for a number of years with leaking roofs and the building deteriorating around them - despite it being a much-used and much-needed facility providing support and services for people of all ages, about 20,000 people use it every year.

The new-look building will be officially opened at a celebration between noon and 2pm on April 7. Former Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe will be doing the honours.

Marks & Spencer mobilised its supply chain contractor partners, who are working on a major refit of its M606 distribution centre, to transform the building.

The Marks & Spencer team also organised a fundraising golf day at the Marriott Hotel at Hollins Hall, Baildon, which raised more than £7,000 to support the work. Its team of contract partners gave labour and materials free of charge to get work done and Bradford-based lender Provident Financial also helped with a grant of £18,000 towards the cost.

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Mr Butterfield said: “This has been an amazing contribution to the charity and the people we support. We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of Marks & Spencer and its contractors. We are grateful to Provident Financial which has provided financial support over several years and found additional funding for this project”.

Nick Russell, build project manager for the Marks & Spencer refit, said “It has been a privilege to be able to support such a valuable local charity. The staff at Marks & Spencer and our supply chain partners rose to the challenge, exceeding all expectations and have transformed the centre.”

Bradford-based Charity Participate Projects helped Marks & Spencer identify the project.

The work has included re-roofing the main building, installing new electrics and a new heating system, replacing windows and a refurbishment of upper floors.

Repairing the roof now means that services including the mums and tots, youth club, sport sessions, carers café and over 50s groups will be able to continue in the building.

There is still a further phase of the refurbishment to carry out which will include repairing another roof, said Mr Butterfield who first came to the centre as a seven-year-old member later qualifying as a youth worker and now running it.

He added: "We've still got some more work to do with a 1960s building and all the inherent problems that come with a building of that age but we want to make sure it's going to be around for another 50 or 60 years and hopefully longer to keep on serving the community."