Newtown Community Centre to reopen and serve local community

The community centre aims to be a hub of activity for the local community and the reopening will offer residents a chance to reconnect and enjoy the centre's many amenities.

The centre was previously run by Revolutionary Roots, a Youth and Community Group who worked on various projects across the borough. The charity helped members of the community by working with young people - encouraging them to get involved in sport and physical activity to reduce boredom and anti-social behaviour.

Ward councillors Paul and Donna Hammond supported Darren and Laura in their application to take over the community centre, saying "We first met Darren and Laura when we were elected as borough councillors back in 2019.

"Since then, the work we have seen Darren and Laura do to help the community is endless, including setting up a food bank during the Covid-19 pandemic and organising a clean-up of the area under the Jellicoe Road bridge.

"There is a lot to do to prepare for this community centre to be the success it deserves to be, but we are looking forward to working with Darren, Laura and the community to ensure it succeeds.

"We would like to thank the officers at Great Yarmouth Borough Council who have been involved in helping this happen and trusting that we will do all we can to ensure this is a success."

The centre's executive director, Darren Wheeler, expressed his excitement about the reopening and the many opportunities the community centre provides. "Getting the community centre back up and running is something we are really looking forward to," he said.

"We have lots of exciting plans for the place, including offering it as a space to book for children's birthday parties, coffee mornings, kids' clubs and, of course, the expansion of the food bank. We're confident that the community centre will continue to be a valuable resource for all who live in the area."

Newtown Community Centre will soon be open to the public.