Melbourne Village Voice March 2020

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SENIOR CITIZENS CENTRE FEARS

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MELBOURNE ESTATE AGENTS Residential Sales and Lettings Tel: 01332 865696 Melbourne: 01332 865696

No. 328 March 2020

Landlord may not renew charity group’s lease by FRANK HUGHES and LUCY STEPHENS

MELBOURNE’S Senior Citizens Centre may lose its building within the next two years. Centre treasurer Karen Grewcock told the latest meeting of Melbourne Parish Council on March 3 that their landlord, Melbourne Hall & Estate, had indicated they may not renew the lease next time it is up, which would be at the end of 2021 or early 2022. Ms Grewcock said that the Senior Citizens Centre were very grateful to their landlords for allowing them use of the land for more than 50 years, and that no final decision had been made. The charitable group running the centre has been in existence since 1951 and aims to support the elderly and those with disabilities in Melbourne and district. The land where the centre is sited has been built on in the past, but was bombed in the Second World War. Ms Grewcock said the landlords were “very keen” that the centre, as a charitable organisation, should continue. This may require finding another home and efforts are underway to achieve this. The land owned by the landlords also includes Melbourne Bowls Club, whose green would also be under threat if it was to be taken back. Discussions are ongoing as to whether the bowling green can be designated an official ‘green space’ in the village which would afford protection against it being built on. The meeting heard how the bowls club had been earmarked for possible green space status, but that this had now been removed. Melbourne Parish Council has written to ask South Derbyshire District Council for the bowls club to be listed as a green space.

The Senior Citizens Centre currently hosts a wide range of activities focussed on the elderly, including fitness classes, chair-based exercise, Tai Chi, whist drives, singing for the brain, and Weight Watchers. There is an annual Christmas dinner held there. Other clubs and groups using the centre are Probus, Melbourne Civic Society, a wine circle and Melbourne Garden Club. Plus, the Melbourne Festival uses it every year for food and music. Melbourne Garden Club holds monthly meetings at the centre, aiming to share expertise on all things gardening. The club also holds an annual produce show. “It would be a great shame if the centre was not available to host these events and bring the surrounding community together in the centre of Melbourne,” said garden club chair Lesley Hough. Maggie Dobby, who is chair of the charitable group running the centre, said a lot of work had been done recently to improve the facility. The kitchen achieved a five-star rating for hygiene, and they were successful recently in obtaining a grant to renew the heating system. A lot of volunteer effort has gone into maintaining and refurbishing the centre. A spokesman from the bowls club said they were saddened to be told the club may possibly lose its green. This season marks the club’s 50th anniversary. A spokesperson said: “The green was built by Melbourne men in 1970 for the use of everyone; it is used presently 24 weeks of the year. “It’s in a quiet, tranquil and historic part of Melbourne and such a facility would be sorely missed. It offers players a sense of wellbeing close to the community it serves, and members will be heartbroken if their beloved green is ever built on.”

ALFIE Commons, four, with mum Lorna, meets the stem cell donor who saved his life. Christin Bouvier, from Germany, flew over to meet Alfie and his family after giving her life-saving donation in 2016 so he could have a bone marrow transplant. Alfie, whose grandparents live in Melbourne, was diagnosed with leukaemia at just a few months old and is pictured (right) in hospital as a baby. Full story – Page 7.

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