Milford Community Hall to be unveiled at Christmas event THIS WEEK on Saturday 11 December at 11am
The completely refurbished Milford Community Hall will be unveiled at a Christmas extravaganza this weekend.
The £720,000 flagship project of the Local Strategic Partnership, headed by South Somerset District Council and the Milford Community Association, has replaced the existing prefabricated building with a brand new hall three times its size.
The hall will be officially declared open at a festive fair organised by the community this Saturday 11 December at 11am, with dozens of stalls, children's activities and music from Yeovil Town Band.
The launch is the culmination of three year's work from local residents and the district council. Ideas for the new hall were first discussed when the district council held a Planning for Real event with local residents in 2007 and subsequently helped to set up the community association in 2008.
Many keen local people wanted a facility that catered for the whole community, including a much larger multi-use hall, additional meeting room, extra kitchen and new toilets.
The project has gone ahead with the backing of South Somerset Together - the Local Strategic Partnership, the support of the community and funding from the South West Regional Efficiency and Improvement Partnership, South Somerset District Council, Yeovil Vision, Yeovil Town Council, Yarlington Housing Group, Wellbeing of Yeovil Association and Somerset County Councillor budgets.
Cllr Tony Fife, Area South Chairman from South Somerset District Council said, "I have seen this scheme develop from the outset and everyone is pleased to see their aspirations come to life. Already the new hall has meant that new clubs, activities and events can be organised for local people. It is a real achievement and will make a real difference to the community."
Rachel Dyer, Chair of the Milford Community Association said, "We see the new Milford Hall as a 'hub' for the Milford community which until now has had no real focal gathering place. It will be a place where all ages feel at home and are catered for -with groups for young people and children, the older generation and also intergenerational groups where the wealth of skills and knowledge, wisdom and energy can be shared across the age barriers.
"I am so excited to see what was once a dream, is now a reality for everyone in this community. The hall is so big, fresh and inviting, I can't wait to see it buzzing with people. A huge thank you to those who have persevered to see this project through."
Cllr Peter Gubbins, a district council ward member and a Somerset County councillor who allocated almost all of his county council community budget towards the project last year said, "For me this is such good news to see the hall come to fruition as I have been pushing to gain the funding needed for several years. This has been a project that has given me so much satisfaction because residents have been so involved, and together we have managed to pull it all together and make it happen. To see such an enthusiastic committee formed with ideas that should help unite the community can only be a big step forward for this area of Yeovil."
Anyone interested in running new activities from the hall can contact Yeovil Town Council on 01935 382424, email alan.tawse@yeovil.gov.uk.
The hall will officially open at 11am on Saturday with activities and entertainment continuing until 2pm.
Further information on this project can be found on the South Somerset District Council website, or by contacting Natalie Ross, Community Development Officer on 01935 462956; email: Natalie.Ross@southsomerset.gov.uk.
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