A BARROW community centre is undergoing an extensive refurbishment months after it was attacked by vandals.

Barrow Community Kitchen is renovating its hall space, garden and facilities after more than £800 was raised towards repairs.

The centre, which provides hot meals for the homeless and helps those suffering from various issues, sustained substantial damage to its site in May.

The vandal smashed windows, plant pots, rooted through the bins whilst throwing the contents all over the premises.

In response to the attack, £840 was raised by the local community to help fund the repairs.

Long-term volunteer, Dave White, said the donation would fund a variety of renovations to the site.

“We’re planning to make the centre visually better by re-painting the whole of the interiors, re-doing the garden and removing the tables in the hall to make it a more open space,” Mr White said.

“We want the centre to focus more on becoming a safe space for kids too.

“A lot of kids we spoke to in the area said they had nothing to do so we want to introduce a youth club of some kind where they can do activities like kayaking, fishing.

“We want them to learn to respect the centre.”

Mr White said the new space would provide a more ‘vibrant and welcoming’ environment.

“We want people to come into the centre and feel welcome and safe,” Mr White said.

He added: "It’s important that we make it as inclusive an welcoming as we could.”

The centre, based in Roosegate Community Centre, is set to be closed for renovation and repair work from Monday until September 1.