The fight to save a 'valuable' community centre on Portland has taken another stride as its sports hall is repaired.
The Islanders Youth and Community Centre, on East Weare Road, Portland, has been a fixture on Portland since 1974 providing a safe and enjoyable space for kids to spend their time.
When the site re-opened post-pandemic the new team found it in a state of dire disrepair to the point it was at risk of closure - including unsafe fire doors and a dilapidated sports hall roof.
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However, the community rallied around the centre, raising thousands of pounds, and now the centre is beginning to thrive. Most recently the work on its sports hall roof and walls has been completed, resplendent with graffiti artwork as a finishing touch.
The chairwoman, Sue Beacock, is thrilled with the progress the centre has made. She says taking on the centre gave her a new lease on life after she was wrongly accused in the Post Office scandal and became a recluse for ten years.
Sue said: "It keeps me going. I would have never imagined how much I would have enjoyed it. It has given me a new lease on life.
"The sports hall repairs and artwork all came out of the money raised through the years. We have been lucky to raise enough that now we can look to do the main recreation room next year.
"Thank you to everyone who's helped. Thank you to the community behind us, the businesses that have helped us and the Echo for the coverage."
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The sports hall was completed thanks to support and fundraising from the community and businesses such as Agincare and the Hayloft. The work itself was completed by Myles Dark Ltd, who the Islanders team would like to thank.
The centre currently features a number of different groups including toddler groups, afterschool groups and social groups for adults.
Mums who use the centre say it provides a fun place to take the kids, socialise with other mums, and reduce the stress of taking care of young children.
Becky Jones, from Portland, and her two kids Noah, six months, and Bella, three years, think the centre is 'amazing'. She said: "We come back every week, it is amazing.
"All the kids are happy, it is really nice to be here. It is valuable and means a lot. It is a place I know I can come to when the kids are being kids.
"It is a place to come and breathe."
Deborah Green, from Wyke Regis, regularly takes her 18-month-old Lila to Islanders. She said: "It is moving in the right direction. They have done a lot. We try to come and support it at all the events."
Sue Beacock adds that the team is in need of volunteers to help run its sessions, and will be looking at improving the main recreation room as its next project.
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