The latest milestones have been passed in the creation of The Link Centre, Ashbourne’s new community hub. Led by Ashbourne Methodist Church, the project is transforming the existing church buildings on the corner of Church Street and Station Road.
In late November, glazing was installed in the new foyer. The foyer will provide step-free access from street level and will connect the buildings into one accessible venue, for use by the community.
Then, in early December, the Cornerstone Coffee House moved into its newly upgraded building. The coffee shop now has additional seating and upgraded facilities. When The Link Centre is complete, there will also be a direct connection from Cornerstone into the community hub.
New websites for both The Link Centre and Gateway Lodge have also gone live, featuring a new logo. The logo is inspired by one of the heritage windows in the building and symbolises the connections that will be made between people in the space. The websites can be accessed at www.ashbournelink.org.uk and www.ashbournegateway.org.uk.
With interior decorating now underway in Gateway Lodge, a new image has also been released to show how the en-suite bedrooms will look. Gateway Lodge will offer affordable, high-quality accommodation, attracting visitors to the town centre.
The Link Centre is the vision of Ashbourne Methodist Church, who wanted to find new ways to serve the local community. The vision was to create a new community hub, which will be open 7-days-a-week offering a wide range of activities for the whole community.
The church will continue to hold its worship and other activities within The Link Centre, alongside community events, cultural & arts activities, celebrations, and business conferences & meetings. The overall aim is to provide a space for the community to meet, build friendships, support each other and have their lives enriched. An important aspect of this will be to create new cultural activities and support arts organisations.
The church partnered with other local community organisations as part of the Ashbourne Reborn programme, which is designed to bring back vibrancy, vitality and economic prosperity to Ashbourne town centre. The whole Ashbourne Reborn programme, which is being led by Derbyshire Dales District Council, has received UK Government funding. Ashbourne Methodist Church will contribute over £2million in match-funding towards the development of The Link Centre, through the generous support of its members, local people and grant-making bodies.
The Ashbourne Reborn proposals originated from businesses and community groups within the town. Ashbourne Reborn is a partnership scheme involving Ashbourne Town Team, Ashbourne Town Council and AshCom, with delivery of the Highways and Public Realm project being led by Derbyshire County Council and The Link Centre community hub by Ashbourne Methodist Church.
To receive email updates, sign up for the newsletter at the District Council website www.derbyshiredales.gov.uk/enewsreg (tick the box for Ashbourne Reborn), or visit the Ashbourne Reborn website www.ashbournereborn.co.uk for the latest news, FAQs and detailed information about the project. To follow on social media, find @AshbourneReborn on Facebook, Instagram.
