A community room at Orchard Park Community Primary School has been refurbished, thanks to a grant from the Cambridgeshire Priorities Capital Fund.
Celebrating the room’s official opening on 30th January, Janice Fuller, the school’s Chair of Governors, welcomed guests to the ribbon-cutting ceremony, which was conducted by pupils from the school.
The new lease of life for this room (known as ‘The Core’) means it can now become a vibrant hub for accessible public services, including healthcare initiatives, educational programs, and community resources.
The Core is one of 26 community projects across Cambridgeshire awarded funding by the County Council’s Communities, Social Mobility and Inclusion Committee. Applicants demonstrated how their project supported the council’s ambitions – creating a greener, safer and more caring Cambridgeshire.
Before the refurbishment, the room was sitting empty on a daily basis, due to it only being accessible through the school.
The grant has enabled modifications to the school building, meaning that parents, carers and community members can now access the community room without having to go through the school. The new facility is integrated, but now independent from the school, creating an accessible and collaborative environment.
Accessible entry and exit doors have been built, as well as a disabled toilet with nappy changing facilities, isolated security for use outside school hours, and a new kitchen for serving drinks and snacks.
The refurbishment marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the community; the school plans to offer a wide range of support services and activities in collaboration with various partners – for example, tailored programmes for children focusing on nutrition, promotion of physical activities, and mental health awareness, all of which aim to instil healthy habits from an early age. Access to speech and language support, health care visitors and social care professionals will enable targeted group support to take place.
The opening event was attended by Cllr Sebastian Kindersley, Chair of Cambridgeshire County Council, Cllr Bryony Goodliffe, Chair of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Children and Young People Committee, and Cllr Ros Hathorn, the County Council’s local member for Orchard Park.
Councillor Ros Hathorn, Cambridgeshire County Council’s local member for Orchard Park and also a member of the Communities, Social Mobility and Inclusion Committee said: “I’m delighted we were able to provide the funding for these refurbishments to The Core, which will make a big difference to the community; it can now function as an accessible and modern hub where learning can take place and communities can come together, safely and confidently.
“I look forward to seeing The Core serving the Orchard Park community for years to come - this transformation puts essential services within easy reach of residents, creating a hub where people can access timely support suited to their needs.”