FORMER parish council offices in Stratton have been signed over to Swindon Youth For Christ, which has re-opened the building as a community centre.

Earlier this month, the Swindon branch of the youth organisation signed a lease with Stratton St Margaret Parish Council, officially taking over responsibility for the offices and community rooms at Meadowcroft in Addison Crescent.

It has re-opened the building as the Meadowcroft Community Centre, and it will now serve as a resource hub for its town-wide youth work team while still being available for hire for parties, events and weekly activities.

Chris Priddy, the director of SYFC, said: “We are really excited to have this opportunity to manage the community facility at Meadowcroft and to make it a really valuable place for the community to use.

“I am excited by the range of groups already using the centre for pilates, martial arts, Tunes ‘N Tots and the Thursday Club and I hope that we can encourage more local groups to use the centre in the future too.”

The building was first opened more than 30 years ago by Coun PL Jefferies, the mayor of Thamesdown, and Mrs UA Owen, the chairman of the parish council.

Since then, it has served both the parish council administrative team and the local community who have made use of the facilities.

But last year Stratton St Margaret Parish Council moved its administrative hub over to specially built new facilities in Grange Leisure, in Grange Drive, where they were better able to work alongside the parish staff team based at the centre.

Coun John Foley, the chairman of Stratton St Margaret Parish Council, said: “The council is delighted to be working with SYFC who are injecting a new lease of life at our Meadowcroft Community Centre.

“We were very impressed with their tender showing such commitment to work with the next generation of Swindon as well as continuing to offer the venue for the local community to hire.

“As a local Upper Stratton resident I am really pleased to see the halls being used to their full capacity as was planned some 30 years ago.”

A grand re-opening event will take place on May 6 at 10.30am, when John and Coun Teresa Page, the Mayor of Swindon, will officially open the building.

To find out more about the centre visit the website meadowcroft.org.uk or email office@meadowcroft.org.uk