£300,000 needed to save historic building

Trustees from the Vicarage Park Community Centre (VPCC) plans to officially launch its public appeal on Monday, August 28.

They hope to raise enough cash to fund improved heating and modern facilities at the former St Chad’s Church Hall, in Vicarage Road, which dates back to 1925.

And on Saturday, outside the Town Hall pub, a 19 hour and 25 minute-long danceathon will be held.

The event is similar to a treadmill walkathon held last summer, and will see dancers perform in relays from 3am to 10.25am.

The core ‘dancers’ will be Amelia, Georgia & Serena Hindle, Farrah Clarke, Melissa and Phil Cookson, Matt Smith, Sara Mills and Sarah Welsh but there will be other guest appearances and an invitation for all to join in.

Trustee Chris Gannon said: “Why 19 hours and 25 minutes? Because the hall was built with the help of public subscription in 1925.

“Following a detailed survey of the building by specialist heritage restoration company, UK Restoration Services, we need to raise approximately £300,000 to restore and reopen the building with improved heating and modern facilities.

“We plan to launch a public appeal at our Summer Celebration event in the Park on August Bank Holiday Monday, but all the monies raised by the danceathon will go towards this fund.”

VPCC, formed in January 2014 , last year signed a 35 year lease on the Vicarage Road building.

The group, which became a registered charity two years ago, hopes to raise the cash to repair the hall and bring it back into use after it closed in 2013.

Last November, trustee Sarah Welsh, then 53 and of Lockwood Avenue, Poulton, gave up her birthday to take part in the walkabout.

She was joined and cheered on by friends and passers-by.

To donate to the cause, visit tinyurl.com/ze8luuq