TWO COMMUNITY CENTRES VITAL TO OUR COMMUNITY
An ever expanding town with ever diminishing arts, entertainments and community facilities. They may not look pretty, but the TWO community and entertainment centres on the Clair Hall site, (Clair Hall and the independent Redwood Centre), provide vital services to Mid Sussex residents.
The Redwood Centre is a thriving community hub, in use seven days a week by a wide range of age groups: a nursery, church, District and local Scouts and private hirers. Importantly, it's the HQ of Mid Sussex District Scouts and the centre from which they deliver volunteer training; host events and bring young people and adults from across Mid Sussex together. It's also the base for 10th Haywards Heath Scout Group, which teaches life skills, provides adventure and offers fun and friendships to 120 families each week - with almost the same number of families on the waiting list! It's a fantastic centre - with large meeting halls, great storage space, a large kitchen suitable for event catering and teaching young people cooking skills. And it's easy access, central location, proximity to the park, the availability of parking and large rooms makes it a perfect community resource. The work of these - and so many other voluntary groups - help to underpin community life and yet there is so little investment in community infrastructure. We need to protect, promote and support the work of these incredible groups, not pull the carpet out from under them!
Clair Hall may not offer state of the art facilities but it has delivered entertainment, a valuable community meeting space and an important central base to so many community groups. All this despite decades of underinvestment and poor publicity. I've enjoyed comedy nights, ("The Treason Show' was a favourite); fantastic local theatre productions (we loved 'Sister Act') and pantomimes; and cinema screenings. We've attended collector shows, (Sussex Rock and Mineral especially); NCT sales; Sunday worship at church; fundraising and school PTA dinners and voted here. It is, of course, also such an important base to the many local charities offering so much to such a wide age range of people - from U3A, choirs, yoga and exercise classes, local interest groups, children's and adult music tuition and performances and ballet exams. And, of course, the vital Blood Donation service and superb vaccination service. It's a credit to the local community that they have been able to contribute so much through Clair Hall, despite so little support and investment for the building over very many years.
The carpet has, quite literally, been pulled from underneath the feet of these community champions. We need much more, not less, multi-purpose community space. It is after all the people, and these voluntary organisations, which make a community. Not prolific residential development.