A ‘BRILLIANT’ response from the community has saved the day for cash-strapped Penistone Leisure Centre.
Generous well-wishers have donated nearly £5,000 in just a couple of days to enable vital roof repairs to continue.
Only last Friday, the Chronicle spotlighted the centre’s desperate plight amid an appeal for money to avoid roofers having to stop work.
Volunteers who run the widely-used centre needed £2,000 by Monday to keep workmen on site and able to buy materials.
Now, spokesman Fran Greenwood says: “We hit and surpassed our target and almost have enough to pay for the whole job, so it is not hanging over us.
“This is brilliant. We had a lot of large donations over the weekend. The roofers are now staying on site and cracking on with the work.”
A crisis developed last week when it emerged that a large rooflight needed immediate repairs - adding around £6,000 to what the centre had earmarked to spend on a general roof overhaul.
They had until Monday to come up with half the amount to avoid scaffolding being taken down and the workmen moving to another job.
Volunteers had been thrilled to win grant funding for the £25,000 roof scheme and were devastated by the rooflight situation.
“The repair is vital to safeguard the centre and prevent further damage,” said Fran. “But this part of the work is not covered by the grant.”
So an urgent appeal was issued and the community has come up trumps.
Running groups in Penistone donated £1,000 between them, Penistone Round Table gave £500 and there was £1,000 from the Penistone mayor’s charity fund. Other donations were anonymous.
“A crowd-funding page drew £1,654 from the amazing people of Penistone,” said Fran. “We are over the moon and very grateful.”
Housed in what used to be the local ‘drill hall’, Penistone Leisure Centre closed in 2011 due to council funding cuts. It was reopened by volunteers as a community-run venture in 2012 and has been operating without outside funding ever since. The centre is used by people from right across Barnsley and beyond.
“We have a wide range of activities and it’s a busy, thriving community hub,” said Fran. “Imagine a Penistone without ‘the drill hall’ - we can’t.”
