Bid to reopen Pebsham centre

A group of residents and businesses have banded together to try and get a much-loved community centre reopened.
Pebsham Community Centre. SUS-170719-130215001Pebsham Community Centre. SUS-170719-130215001
Pebsham Community Centre. SUS-170719-130215001

Pebsham Community Centre in Seabourne Road shut its doors last month as the committee had to disband.

The building is owned by Rother District Council.

Bexhill Amateur Boxing Club used the venue to host its first four open shows and will now have to find a new venue.

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Club coach Terry Freeman said: “Bexhill ABC is very sad to see the end of an era. We’ve hosted some brilliant shows there.”

Former chairman Brian Jewell said: “The feelings I have felt since hearing of the closure of the centre have been of sorrow and disbelief.

“I was personally involved for 19 years, filling roles as secretary, chairman and trustee. But of course I will not take credit solely, for what was achieved during those years, without the many, many other willing committee members and supporter/members from the community who made the centre’s evolution possible.

“I will hope that for Pebsham’s sake the centre can be saved.”

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Emily Ansell has set up a JustGiving page online in a bid to raise funds to get the centre open again. More than £100 has been raised so far.

A Rother District Council spokesman said: “The community centre is owned by the council and has been leased for a number of years to Pebsham Community Association. Last month, the centre’s management committee informed us that it had to disband and was no longer running, and handed the keys back to the council.

“We have taken action to secure the building to make it safe and to keep it in a good condition should the opportunity arise to reopen it in some form in the future.

“As the lease to the building remains with the community association, it’s their decision as to whether they wish to set up a new management committee to try and reopen the centre, or to terminate the lease.”

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