Huge final effort to raise funds for much-needed community sports centre

A mammoth effort is underway to raise the final funds needed for a new sports hall on the site of one of Speedwell’s only community spaces.

The Meadowvale Centre plays a vital role in the neighbourhood, providing a free space for the food club that provides fresh food for families, among many other activities.

But the capacity of the existing building on Meadow Vale is limited to just 33 people and the plan is to build a new community-led sports and multi-purpose hall on the site, making way for the current centre to be turned into a café and garden with outdoor seating.

It is a dream that has been a long time in the making, with trustees starting to raise the £310,000 needed in 2016, and they are now appealing for public help to make up the £20,000 funding shortfall.

Speaking about the need for the new hall, Meadowvale Community Centre chairwoman Fiona Russell says: “Speedwell is in the top 20 per cent deprived communities in the UK. Our mission is clear, to support people across Speedwell to have a good local facility. To do this we need a larger, safe space in which people can meet to take advantage of local essential support services and build community cohesion.”

Fiona continues: “The deprivation statistics only tell part of our story though. We have a strong, diverse, vibrant, hardworking community and many people have lived in Speedwell all their lives. We know from the local nursery that there are now over ten languages spoken within the catchment of Speedwell, and this is something to celebrate.  With a new larger community sports hall and the café, we’re certain we can become a central hub for Speedwell, get all ages more active and support our local community in a way that we simply don’t have space for today.”

Trustees have already raised the bulk of the funding needed for the new building through grants from organisations such as Bristol Rotary, John James Trust, Quartet Energy grant, Sovereign Housing, as well as through a community infrastructure levy, paid by developers to support communities.

The existing Meadowvale hall underwent an £85,000 refurbishment in 2008 and the trustees are now hopeful of delivering on their ambition of building a brand new sports hall behind the current centre.

The new sports hall would be build behind the existing centre, which is close to Meadow Vale Park – photo by Ellie Pipe

Nicola Beech, a Labour councillor for St George Central, adds: “The small Meadowvale existing centre already works hard to support our community. A good example being the Food Club. Throughout the pandemic the food club has been providing fresh essential food for local families for a fraction of the price in supermarkets, an essential service sadly required for many families across Bristol.

“The association has provided a space free of charge over the last three years for this Food club, which in the last year has provided 1,565 families with food parcels, giving the helping hand we know our families need”.

If the target is reached, the plan is to begin work on the new hall early next year with a view to opening in summer 2022.

Find our more and support the fundraising appeal via www.gofundme.com/f/meadowvale-community-centre-expansion?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer

Main photo by Ellie Pipe

Read more: Residents lament lack of community spaces left in Speedwell 

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