Community centre in Lye gets major facelift

Lye Community Centre has benefited from the work, which has included new flooring, relocation of the kitchen, a fresh interior, new toilets, fencing, CCTV and a lower floor internal extension.

Councillor David Borley cut a ribbon to mark the occasion.

Shaz Tariq, from the community centre, said: "We believe that community centres are a vital and very important element of the community, an asset which belongs to everyone.

"Like a home brings families together, likewise a community centre brings a whole community together.

"It is a building which is not just brick and mortar or just a place of hire, but a facility which supports all community based initiatives.

"To welcome all, create a healthy environment and help unite a community together.

"It has been a very long, tiring and challenging journey for our committee and everyone who has contributed their time and effort into this project.

"But the overall reward in being able to give back into a place where you have been born and bred and feel proud to be a part of, and have the opportunity to invest in a community facility which belongs to our local area has all been well worth it.

"The next phase is to request for everyone to promote, refer and support our centre, to make it a welcoming community hub for all."

She also thanked a number of people and organisations which have been involved in the project.

She added: "We'd like to thank our funder Sports England and Ian Silvera for the investment award, Maz Qari for the support and guidance she provided for the original application made by DIYYA Project, five years ago.

"Then to the DIYYA Project for agreeing to divert the investment award into the Lye Community Centre."