A £100,000 injection of cash will be giving the Tilbury Community Resource Centre a new lease of life in the coming weeks.
Thurrock Council, working with the One Community Development Trust have secured the money from the East of England Development Agency’s Economic Participation Programme fund.
The resource centre in the former fire station, Civic Square, was returned to the control of Thurrock Council late last year after the community group, CRC Ltd, which had managed it, asked the council to take over responsibility and bring the building back to the standard required for the people, businesses and groups that want to use the facility.
The centre has over 5,000 square feet of office and meeting room facilities which have helped to meet the needs of social enterprises and small business start ups in Tilbury.
Over the years the condition of the centre has deteriorated and on taking over, the council discovered a number of structural and health and safety issues which needed to be addressed to protect current users and to help to attract new users.
Working with One Community ― an organisation formed by community and voluntary groups and residents from Tilbury and Chadwell ― the council identified an opportunity to bid for funding to help with the costs of bringing the centre up to standard.
The bid was successful and over £100,000 has been secured from the Economic Participation Programme.
The council and One Community are now working up a detailed programme of works which will include repairs to the roof, essential works to comply with fire regulations, an improved reception facility, and decorating and alterations to the layout of some rooms.
While the exact details are still being finalised the works will start this month and are likely to be finished in June.
While the works are going on, One Community will be working to market the centre and carrying out local consultations to help inform the a long-term plan for the centre.
