A LIST of groups wanting to use a community building is being drawn up, almost two months before it has opened.

The developers at Christ Church Community Centre, in Old Town, are registering interest from several organisations looking to use the space when it is complete.

Construction is under way at the centre, with the building likely to be made secure next week with the installation of doors and windows.

Under-floor heating will be in place by the weekend and solar panels were added last week.

Work is being done by contractors, although there are teams of volunteers from Nationwide and Intel getting involved with the development of the gardens around the centre.

Chris Smith, 32, the community centre development manager, said he and the advisory group organising the centre hope to have the building open and operational at the start of November.

Chris has had more than eight people approach him with offers of help to volunteer in running the £650,000 building once it is finished.

“It’s too early at this stage to assign people to roles, but we are going to need cleaners, people sitting on organising committees and opening and closing the building each day,” said Chris.

“It’s a building run by the church for the community.

“We want it to be a hub for Old Town.

“There is a massive buzz around the area with everybody talking about it already.”

A logo has now been created for the community centre in an effort to build its identity and create some unity between those associated with the centre.

The Scouts, Guides, Music groups and the Little Fishes pre-school are just some of the groups which have already registered interest in the centre ahead of its opening.

A wedding reception has also already been booked with the centre.

Also backed by Christ Church is the autumn fair which takes place on Saturday between noon and 4pm in the church grounds.

The community event is expected to attract up to 500 people, according to Daphne Hardwick, a curate and Christ Church and chief organiser of Saturday’s gathering.

Daphne said the event is not designed to compete with the Swindon Mela, which is taking place in the Old Town Gardens at the same time.

“We didn’t intend to compete with the Mela,” she said.

We have always held our event on the second or third weekend of September, but their date change has forced a clash. “We are hoping that people will see it as two events they can go to.

“We don’t want to draw people away from them.”