This year has seen a few changes to the previously named Care Centre, not least the name change to the Rushenden Community House.  After a few months closure and working without my usual office space and facilities, the new extension to the house was finally completed after a few delays, but it was worth the wait.  The extra space has been a godsend and the whole look of the house has changed.  It feels more like a
community facility but has not lost its cosiness and warmth.  The colour of the house makes it stand out in the street and even now after many months of debate there has been no conclusion drawn as to what colour it really is…blue or purple…take your choice.

Anyway since the opening the clubs have restarted, starting with the Breakfast Club, which is very popular and the walking bus whereby we walk the children to school.  The new kitchen has made the breakfast club possible as most of you know that the house didn’t have a working kitchen prior to the extension.

The After Schools club as they once were are no more, but we have started a Girl’s Club and a Boy’s Club, which have proved extremely popular with 25 girls and 19 boys attending.  I believe this is due to the fact that we can concentrate on what is popular with each group.

With the new training facilities upstairs we have run the Doorstep Learning Program here, many of the residents have enjoyed the challenge and we are now on the second run of courses.  The computers and equipment provided by the CLC have proved useful to those attending the courses.

We have now started computer courses run by the Training Highway and have 30 students taking part, I am beginning to think the extension should have been extended further.

Since the start of the learning programs the users expressed a need for more basic math and English courses, this was a positive step by them and we now have a Monday morning course of basic Math and English run by Adult Education.

The walkway adjacent to the House has now been transformed, it looks beautiful and I would like to thank the many Adults and children that helped over the half term to make it into a lovely walkway, either by planting the 700 plants or painting the ornaments that have gone into the garden,  it was a busy few days but looking at it now, it has been worth it.

Now the time has come to plan the summer activities for the children and the carnival to be prepared, so I am looking forward to a busy time ahead.