Hilltop Community Centre expands its services following grand reopening

From left to right: Sebert Graham, Honorary President and former Chairman of WMCO, Olga McBarnett at Heart of Bucks, The Mayor of High Wycombe Cllr Andrea Baughan, Cllr Majid Hussain, and Melissa Humphrey, Centre Manager and Finance Officer at Hilltop Centre. (Image supplied by LMC)

Hilltop Community Centre in Cressex has expanded its services following a grand reopening.

Hilltop Community Centre at 14 Crest Rd, High Wycombe has received a combined total of £70,000 in funding to make the space more spacious and modern. The centre is managed and maintained by the Wycombe Multicultural Organisation (WMCO), a charity which has been operating in the area since 1991.

The funding was awarded by the LHC Community Benefit Fund (in association with Locality), as well as the Red Kite Community Housing Springboard Fund, Buckinghamshire Council, Bernard Sunley Foundation, John Apthorp Charity, Rothschild Foundation, Heart of Bucks, and Heart of Bucks BP Collins Fund.

The allocated funding was used to expand and update the kitchen facilities at the Hilltop Community Centreto ensure a better and safer space with greater accessibility to serve their community and neighbouring areas. A new extraction system, commercial sinks and fire safety measures have been put in place, as well as brighter, modern décor and fittings, and more space for disabled users.

The mission was to foster strong community cohesion and social and economic regeneration within the High Wycombe area by providing a comfortable space which helps to promote the education, health and well-being of the inhabitants and local people.

The refurbishment took place during an extremely challenging period, through Covid-19 and Brexit. This caused price increases and delays, but through the hard work and perseverance of all those involved, the new facilities successfully reopened and were launched on 20th November 2021. The community centre now opens seven days a week and serves 300 to 350 people from morning until evening.

The refurbishment has enabled Hilltop Community Centre to cater to a greater reach of the community, strengthen relations, and help to reduce social isolation in a more comfortable environment, which has been so exacerbated across the country since the start of the pandemic. The project also generates more income to engage more of the community.

Hilltop is gradually adjusting to the new normal and has a number of exciting projects in store to offer an even greater selection of services to local people.

Some of the newer facilities at the centre include:

• Catch-up sessions for year 11 GCSE students to bridge the attainment gap exacerbated during the pandemic.
• Diet and nutrition groups and cookery classes for young people.
• A range of projects for the elderly

The centre is well utilised by a variety of organisations and groups in the community already, including a local disability group, a Bulgarian school, a Saturday school (for cultural studies and academic booster), as well as a range of sporting activities such as fencing, martial arts and kick boxing. There is also availability for hire to the community for birthdays, celebrations, and other events in the new inclusive space.

Melissa Humphrey, from the Wycombe Multicultural Organisation, said: ‘It was a long project, but worth it! We’’e very grateful to the community and all the funders that helped make this happen. The groups really benefit from the extra space and new kitchen facilities, and I think it is more important than ever that we are able to support and bring people together after the difficulties and isolation so many have faced in the last two years.‘

*Source of article : Press release from LMC.