|
| The Blackburn Community Association is looking for volunteers to join a working group to expand the Blackburn community hall | | | Orléans Star, January 29th 2010, 9:30 A small group of volunteers in Blackburn Hamlet are looking for help as they examine the possibility of expanding the community hall. Blackburn Hamlet Community Association member Charles Kennedy, who is responsible for the community hall expansion project, is putting a call out for area residents to step forward and join his working group.
What the expansion could look like is yet to be determined because that’s what the working group is for, Kennedy indicated.
“We need volunteers first,” he said.
While usage numbers suggest an expansion is required, the association needs to know what the community wants. Those who run the booking of the hall are “extremely busy,” Kennedy explained, adding there’s no space for some groups.
The community centre, at 190 Glen Park Dr., is essentially just one large room with a kitchenette, cloak room and washrooms. There’s a patio in the back that can be used during warmer months.
Kennedy said there are also some locker cages that can be used for storage, but even that is limited. He noted the scouts had to move some of their equipment to a neighbouring community centre.
Whether the expansion should be small or massive is something the working group and, later, the community can decide. Kennedy indicated the community association has some money saved for this initiative, but the group will also likely look for community partners and government funding if it moves forward with an expansion.
“It will depend on the need,” Kennedy said, adding the association can try to secure government funding through specific programs, like those geared toward youth.
“We can’t know what to raise without knowing what the community wants.”
There is room for the hall to expand, Kennedy continued. It’s possible the soccer field would have to be shifted slightly, but nothing would be removed, including existing play structures, he said.
The community association will continue trying to recruit volunteers to its working group over the next 30 days. Kennedy indicated the plan is to get the volunteers and then consult with the community. He said he’s looking to host a public meeting in March or April about the expansion.
Those interested in volunteering can get more information under “Events and News” on the community association’s website at www.blackburnhamlet.ca | | |
|
|
| |