WORK to give Bentham's run-down youth club and community centre a complete make-over is to start shortly.

The centre, which is an old Quaker meeting house and a grade II listed building, has no central heating and any modern facilities and has been in desperate need of refurbishment for years.

Now with the aid of £140,000 in grant aid from the National Lottery Charities Board, work to completely refurbish the centre and also help buy equipment and fund projects once the centre is up and running can go ahead.

Angela Walker, centre manager said: "We're trying to take the building and give it a complete make-over and refurbishment. We want to open it up as a community hall and youth club - in previous years it has only been used for the youth club."

She added: "Our aim is to use funding from the National Lottery Charities Board to convert the Grade II listed premises into a warm and welcoming centre for young people, as well as for other community users.

"We would like to be able to offer the local people a place that they feel they belong to, a place where small groups can meet, seminars and lectures can be held, as well as pursuits in leisure and family learning."

The plans include wheelchair access to the building by the provision of a ramp and a new side entrance door.

The front room of the building will benefit from the addition of a new kitchen area and disabled toilet facilities, while the windows are to be replaced with timber framed double glazed units, sympathetic to the style and period of the building.

Gas central heating is to be installed throughout, and the roof and ceilings are to be insulated.

She added: "We have a good sized hall, suitable for games, jumble sales and parties. At the rear end of the building we have a separate entrance door which leads into the part of the building formerly used by the youth group.

"Although this will still remain an area for young people, we also hope to attract a good cross section of other users. This unit has the added benefit of a fitted kitchen area. In order to give the centre its 'new look', we plan to upgrade the lighting system, provide extra storage space and equipment and re-decorate throughout."

At present a number of organisations use the centre including the Guides and Brownies, the toy library, social services' Thursday Group, the drum workshop, and pantomime group.

Angela added that she desperately wanted to hear from young people between the ages of 11 and 16 to help choose the dcor for the new refurbished youth club.

She would also like to hear from any local people who would be able to spare any time to help decorate the centre.

She has also launched a prize-winning competition for youngsters to come up with a new name, a logo and a slogan for the centre.

All entries should be handed into Angela at the centre and anyone wanting further information should contact her on 015242 61800.

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