Whitchurch Civic Centre defies recession

Whitchurch Civic Centre is growing in popularity despite the recession, new figures have revealed.

Charities, sports and fitness groups using the building have helped to boost the town council's coffers by more than £9,500 in the last three months. Bookings for October alone totalled just over £3.745, a 15.5 per cent increase on the October 2010 figure of £3,244.

Now managers of the centre are looking to increase the centre's popularity even more by encouraging Whitchurch residents, especially young people, to use it more at weekends.

Acting manager Zoe Dean said: "We're sustaining very regular bookings and groups, such as the Zumba Fitness classes, are doing so well that they are using it more than once a week.

"To date, we've had a couple of days when we've been fully booked and every room in the centre has been in use.

"We're very excited as our overall goal is to have the Civic Centre as full as we can every day of the week.

"It's important because it increases the footfall into Whitchurch and shows that the Civic Centre and the town hall are the hub of the town centre."

Whitchurch is in line to get a £350,000 cash windfall from the Market Towns Revitalisation Programme set up by Shropshire Council to breathe fresh life into the county's market towns.

Town councillors in Whitchurch want to use some of the money to revamp the Civic Centre and are in discussions with Ellesmere-based Greenspace Architects to conduct a feasibility study on the work.

Miss Dean said: "We want the centre to be able to provide more facilities, clubs and activities for the people of Whitchurch.

"Even though it is used seven days a week, we are always looking to expand and would like more groups to use it on Saturdays.

"We would like to have more evening functions, including more social events for young people.

Whitchurch deputy mayor Councillor Rob Hewson said: "I'm very pleased with the attendances and use at Civic Centre. It just proves that it's a facility the people of Whitchurch like to use."

By Winston Brown