New community centre in Bersted is smash hit

A new community centre in Bersted Green Court is set to give residents a new hub for exercise, information and advice after launching on Saturday (April 2).
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Built and funded by Arun District Council, the hub will give residents a new space in which to organise exercise classes and support groups, start clubs, run community organisations and much, much more.

It comes as part of a wider project to rejuvenate areas in Arun District with high levels of deprivation or a lack of community resources. It's hoped that the new centre will give residents in Bersted Green, which has a mortality rate than other wards due to health and income disparity, a valuable new space in which to "socialise, exercise and get information, support and advice from professionals."

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Wick, in Littlehampton, is set to receive similar treatment with a similar community centre set to launch there as of April 9.

Celebrating the launch of the new community hubCelebrating the launch of the new community hub
Celebrating the launch of the new community hub

Sarah Smith, a community engagement project officer for Arun District Council, said the day was a considerable success: "(Saturday0 was absolutely fantastic," she explained.

"From the second it started, everybody was happy. We had such good feedback. There were taster dance classes, we had a painting competition. Everybody just seemed really happy to be there."

It's an auspicious start for a community centre planning to build connections with the community over time, and Mrs Smith hopes that support continues into the near future: "people kept asking, 'are you going to keep going?' and I said 'if you keep turning up', because that's exactly what we need," she explained.

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"We wanted to bring some fun back to the community, because a lot of fun was sucked out during the pandemic. We're trying to engage people, get them joining in, getting back to knowing each other.

"We want to provide residents with somewhere fun, safe and warm to come together. We're providing education for people. Arun wellbeing are involved so we can help people who want to give up smoking or drinking. It's all the usual stuff, but there's that fun side to it as well.

"A lot of residents in Bersted can't travel. They can't get out of the area, so they can't always access leisure centres for fitness classes or important health advice. It's about bringing stuff to people's doorstep, rather than making them travel out of their area."

Not that the Bersted Green Court hub is only for Bersted Green residents. Arun District Councillor Francis Oppler (Lib Dem) made clear it's for the entire community of Bognor Regis.

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"There are pockets of very deep seated deprivation all over Bognor, traditionally it's been an issue in north Bognor and Bersted," he explained. "But (the community centre) isn't just for the Bersted community, it's for anybody in the wider Bognor area that wants to use it."

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