A COMMUNITY centre in Barrow has reopened after spending nearly five years unused.

The Griffin Community Centre on Cotswold Crescent is back after it was shut down before the Covid-19 pandemic saw the UK go into Lockdown.

On Thursday April 11, Westmorland and Furness Council handed over the keys to Sharna Smith, who will take over the day-to-day running of the community centre.

Sharna said she and her friend Jacquei Somerville have spent a ‘hectic’ seven months working alongside Westmorland and Furness Council to get it up and running.

The two mums met when they were taking their children to a playgroup. They spoke about wanting to own and run their own place and began working towards opening the local community centre.

With a new lease of life, the community centre is aiming to provide Bingo meetings, children’s birthday parties, fayres, playgroups and more.

Sharna wants the space to be the heart of the community, a place where anyone, of any age, gender, or race can spend time, meet people and take part in activities.

The hall will soon be available to hire for special occasions and will open to offer something for children during the school holidays.

They also hope to make the centre into a warm space through the winter and will hold charity events, while the outdoor space will be turned into a community garden.

Sharna and Jacquei have asked for as much support as possible so that they can make the centre successful and see it flourish and be the best it can be.

Sharna said: “I promise, you will feel so very welcome, we have so many ideas to get this once-loved community centre noticed again and are so excited to get started.

“I want to take the pressures off parents and provide somewhere they can come to socialise, to get out of the house and meet people without it costing the earth.

“This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to give something back and I just hope it goes from strength to strength.

“I feel very fortunate to have been given this opportunity."

Sharna said it feels like it had been worth the wait as they have already interest and response from individuals who cannot wait for the centre to open.