ONE the biggest new housing developments in South Cumbria had the chance to build its own identity and provide a regular venue for specialist groups and activities after winning a long campaign to have a community base.

Back in the early 1970s the Croftlands Community Association was formed to represent the interests of people living on Ulverston’s major new housing estate.

Top of its priority list was a substantial base to hold meetings and events.

The Croftlands Community Centre was finally opened 18 years later in November 1991.

This project cost £30,000 and was officially opened by Ulverston mayor Cllr Bill Davies.

Croftlands Community Association chairman Dorothy Bragg said at the time: “It’s wonderful to see our glorious new building open at last.”

The building work at Central Drive had started in January 1990 when community campaigner Win Langton, aged 80 and Annie Price, 86, cut the first turf at the site.

Mrs Langton had been on the committee of the Croftlands Community Association since it was formed in 1973.

Mrs Price had been enlisted to assist with the ceremony as she was the oldest resident on the Croftlands estate.

In March 1998 a new bingo machine arrived at Croftlands Community Centre for use in fun sessions held by the Croftlands Wednesday Afternoon Club.

It was presented by Enid Sleight and Cllr Val Miller from the Ulverston Old People’s Welfare Committee.

The number-generating machine was accepted for the Croftlands Wednesday Afternoon Club entertainments officer Glenn McPhillips and chairman Dorothy Bragg.

Numbers also featured strongly in an after-school study centre launched by an Ulverston woman in 2003 to help youngsters improve their maths skills.

The Mail, on Monday, January 13, noted: “It is one of 500 centres around the country involving 40,000 students and is being spearheaded in Ulverston by Jayne Akitt.

“Mrs Akitt, a former financial adviser with Barclays Bank and mortgage adviser with Poole Townsend, is looking forward to helping children improve their maths skills and described it as a very exciting project.

“The centre will teach maths through the Kumon programme devised more than 40 years ago by secondary teacher Toru Kumon.”