FUNDING has been approved to support a vibrant community-led centre in Ashton which will provide local people with a wealth of health and social opportunities.
Tameside Council is working with Christ Church Community Developments on the exciting ‘4C’ project – a sustainable community building located in the heart of the Waterloo community, on the grounds of Christ Church between Oldham Road and Taunton Road.
It will be open to all Tameside residents and work on a similar model to the very successful Grafton Centre in Hyde and Together Centre in Dukinfield, which are now either run by the community already or are in the process of becoming independently community led.
As well as health and social activities and services, 4C will offer a high spec community space, bookable meeting rooms and a café. The building, which will be fully accessible for all, is designed to limit the impact on the environment and incorporates new and traditional technologies with recycling and energy efficiency integral to the operation.
The project has been running for a number of years and the Council has agreed £150,000 funding to help complete the work and realise both the trust’s and the Council’s ambition of seeing it become a thriving community space.
Building work is due to start in the next few weeks and should be finished by late summer with an expected opening in September 2018.
Tameside Council Assistant Team Manager for Community Engagement and Market Development Janine Byron said: “We’re really excited to see work getting underway on 4C – this is a project that will benefit all of the community – young and old – and follows other similar models where community led provision and facilities successfully lead on improving local people’s lives and supporting residents to thrive. This is turns saves the Council money in more traditional forms of health and social care.”
