Users of Tenby's Augustus Place Community Centre were delighted this week when the hall re-opened after a major refurbishment. The refurbishment project came about following a meeting held between Tenby Town Council and other key parties, including - the town's Rotary Club, Round Table, Lions, and the user groups. After discussions, the groups looked at two options to decide the hall's future, a refurbishment or a total knock down and rebuild. However, a rebuild was deemed too costly (in excess of £250,000), with advice taken that the hall was structurally sound, but just in need of some care and a touch up here and there. User groups then suggested certain aspects they were looking for to make the hall more user friendly. Mr. Derrick Hughes, of the Rotary Club, carried out an assessment on the centre and it was agreed to replace the rotten windows and doors with new uPVC, repaint the outside of the building, replace guttering, adapt one of the toilets to accommodate the disabled, and also install a new heating system. It was also agreed that the floorboards were uneven, with the floor needing levelling. This also enabled the people behind the project to install a non-slip easy maintenance floor covering. The community centre was originally built by Rotary Club in 1961 with assistance from the Inner Wheel, and Tenby Round Table supplying the furniture. Gifted to the town primarily to be used by local senior citizens, the hall went over to South Pembrokeshire District Council following re- organisation in 1974 and was bought back by the town council during the early 1980s. At the start of the 1990s, the Rotary Club extended the size of the hall by enclosing the veranda, but other than a rewiring in the late 1990s very little work has been carried out on the hall and it was starting to show its age. "The refurbishment project has cost in the region of £25,000, with the majority of funding coming from the town council, with Objective One grant funding of £7,800 coming through Pembrokeshire County Council's Community Buildings Fund," explained the clerk to Tenby Town Council, Mr. Andrew Davies, who also thanked other organisations who had helped with the project. "Tenby Nomads made a donation of £200 which has enabled us to provide more kitchen equipment to go with a new microwave donated by Tenby Ladies Circle and the cooker donated by Tenby and Saundersfoot Lions," he said. Work on the hall's refurbishment has been carried out by G. & I. Roofing, SMS Plumbing, Mark Woodward (Carpenter), and Parfitts Carpets. "There is still some work to be done on the centre, which is not eligible for grant aid - including re- painting and the provision of new furniture, which will be carried out over the summer, but the hall is re-open again," continued Mr. Davies. "The town council appreciate the patience of users and the residents of Augustus Place while work was being carried out and hope that everyone agrees that the work already carried out is a major improvement," he added. Augustus Place Community Centre is used by a host of local organisations, such as - Senior Citizens, WRVS Luncheon Club, Tenby Mother and Toddler Group, Tenby Avenue Centre, The Joans Club and Slimming World. It is available for hire at other times to other user groups for regular meetings or one-off events. Anyone interested in hiring the hall can contact the town clerk at his office on 01834 842730.
