New lease of life for Beaminster community centre (From Bridport and Lyme Regis News)

New lease of life for Beaminster community centre

5:07pm Friday 22nd February 2013 in Local News By Anne Bell

West Dorset MP Oliver Letwin brandished the scissors and cut a ribbon to declare Beaminster’s revamped Yarn Barton Community Centre well and truly open.

Thanks to grants from West Dorset District Council and Dorset County Council the centre has new equipment including computers for visitors to use the internet, laptops and an eprinter and state of the art copier.

The meeting room has been decorated and now has a projector, screen, tables and chair and is available for hire at £10 a session.

Mr Letwin said: “At one point I was afraid that I would not set foot in Yarn Barton again, but now here it is in a new form which is terrific.”

He also paid tribute to town council chairman Gilbert Berry in achieving charitable status for the centre.

“And I am delighted to see that the job club is well established and has had successes, which is very much in the spirit of Yarn Barton,” Mr Letwin added.

Chairman of the Yarn Barton trustees Philip Crawford said that the reopening was a very important occasion for the centre.

“This marks the beginning of a new era for us as the Yarn Barton community centre,” he said.

“We now have fantastic facilities and now we need people to come and use them!”

The job club meets in the centre from 12.30pm to 2.30pm every Wednesday and there are plans to set up a credit union.

The centre, which is staffed by volunteers, also stocks a variety of leaflets for visitors to West Dorset and community information for residents of the Beaminster area .

It is open from 9am until 12.30pm Monday to Friday and 9.30am to 1pm on Saturday.