Boxing champion Richie Woodhall opens Telford youth club
Former world boxing champion Richie Woodhall cut the ribbon to officially open a Telford youth club, which has been taken over by local churches.
The Living Room, at the Park Lane Centre in Woodside, was "jam-packed" on Saturday, as the community celebrated the official opening of the facility.
Paul Booth, who has been leading the project for about 18 months, said the ribbon cutting had been a "special occasion."
He said: "The Living Room is going to be an extremely important facility for the community.
"The opening was fantastic, it was great to have Richie here, who grew up in Woodside himself. He stayed for a while to not only cut the ribbon but also cut the cake, as well as chat to the locals.
"There was also activities for all the family, as well as a bouncy castle which the children loved.
"The Living Room is going to be here to help and support the people of Woodside but what's key for us really is to find out what we can do for them, rather than impose activities on the community. We want to know what they want."
Mr Booth said initial ideas include a mum and toddler group, as well as a cooking class but that ideas from the community would be crucial.
The centre is being run in a co-operation by Madeley Baptist Church and the Anglican Church.
It comes after Telford & Wrekin Council announced it would no longer be able to fund or manage a number of community centres, due to Government budget cuts, so church members decided to take on the facility themselves.
