Wirral community centre reopens (From Wirral Globe)

Wirral community centre reopens

10:31am Friday 5th October 2012 in News By Craig Manning

GREASBY Community Centre has been officially reopened following a refurbishment.

The venue, in Greasby Road, was one of many across Wirral earmarked for community transfer under the council's strategic asset review in 2009.

A management transfer plan was approved by Wirral council's cabinet and a company set up by the centre's joint management committee took over the building’s running on a 99-year lease for a peppercorn rent.

The next three years saw hectic negotiations between the council and Greasby Community Association under the chairmanship of John Smith to secure a package to enable the centre to be passed over as a viable business enterprise.

The aim was to secure the facilities for the local community for many years to come and to run it as a non-profit making charity.

Together with a supporting financial package the lease of the building to Greasby Community Association was signed in May 2012. The opening was performed by the Mayor of Wirral, Gerry Ellis.

A spokesman for the committee said: “We were pleased to have the support of our local MP, Esther McVey and mixing in the background were three of our local councillors Wendy Clements, Tony Cox and Mike Hornby, together with many friends and the unpaid volunteers who have enabled the transition to take place.

“To make it a working enterprise the Council has done a great deal of maintenance work including re-cladding the roof and making internal changes.

”We are most grateful for all the people who made the open day such a success and we hope that many of our visitors will be returning as users.”

Greasby was third centre to be granted community management status. Hoylake Community Centre's management transfer plan was approved in January and in November, Heswall Hall was transferred over to community ownership.