Community hub for new parents and after school club set to open in Derbyshire town - as charity secures £250,000 grant

Life Dronfield, a non-profit organisation, has been working for over a decade to open a new community hub in the town and, this week, made a breakthrough with their successful bid into the Government’s Community Ownership Fund.

The funds will allow the charity to fully refurbish the Parish Halls building, which they secured a few years ago on behalf of the local community. The charity hopes to use the building as a new community hub for new parents, families, young people after school, and older people to meet and socialise.

Andy Evers, the Chair of the charity, said: "We are immensely grateful for the support and confidence bestowed upon us by the Community Ownership Fund. This grant signifies a new chapter for Life Dronfield, enabling us to expand our services and reach more members of our community than ever before. It's a shining example of what we can accomplish when we come together for the common good.

"Life Dronfield would like to extend their thanks to Lee Rowley MP for his support in obtaining £250,000 award, which will go towards the Phase 1 works at St John’s Church Halls. This money will allow us to gain further funding, so that we can turn derelict old building into an amazing community hub, which is so needed by the town. Life Dronfield and the community are grateful for not only the Community Ownership funding, but also the support from Lee.”

Lee Rowley, MP for North East Derbyshire, said: “This is a brilliant achievement for Life Dronfield and a testament to the confidence that everyone has in their plans for the new community hub. The team have worked so hard over recent years, first to secure the Parish Halls, to provide support to so many already in the town and, now, to win the £250,000 which will allow them to transform it further. It’s another big step forward for North East Derbyshire and I’m just so pleased to see all of Life Dronfield’s hard work paying off.”