About Us and how it all began.

 

Once known as Notorious Liverpool pub The Bridge Inn,Daneville, given new lease of life as community centre for the over 50s and re-born under volunteer and manager su carson.

liverpool echo story.

The former Salvation Army HQ on Daneville Road has now been taken over by volunteer Su Carson, who has used her years of experience working in community centres & day centres to turn it into the The - Bridge Community Centre (connecting communities)

She said her aim was to connect communities and the centre is now offering a community cafe and a range of  activities, including exercise for the over-50s and dance classes but evening all ages can use the centre facilities and classes we have on offer.With no funding what so ever and every penny from hiring out rooms being poured back into the centre its been a hard work and long hours but Su, 48, said the continuous transformation is down to “good old-fashioned community spirit”.

The mum-of-one said: “I live in the area and I thought ‘that building is going to go to rack and ruin’, so I sent an e-mail to the pub company and told them what I wanted to do and how the area needed the communty to come together.

“I wanted to take it on for the community and look after the building.You could see what was  happening after only a few weeks of it being closed – it would have ended up like a lot of other empty building targeted by vandals we have worked so hard to get this up and running within 4 weeks of getting it and There is still a lot more to do and i am totally commited to making it work for the community and the area.I just wanted to make a difference and turn something that was a neative place for the area into somethingpositive.”

Su took over the building on April 4 and it opened on May 13.

She has signed a lease with pub owners Punch Taverns and said she hoped residents would make the centre their own.and use the activities and classes on offer, with all the cut backs to local services im hoping to provide a safe place that cannot be taken away by anyone pulling the funding mat,if people use our centre then we have a good chance of a long life i am a firm believer if you want something you will fight for it and fight to keep it.

Su said: “Our centre is purely self-funding and the more the community connects with us, the more chance we have of surviving.I’ve had nothing but positive comments from the local people & residents in the area and Punch Taverns have been so supportive. I’ve also been helped by the lads from Clockface builders in St Helens, who have gone out of their way to help me. Anything we get from room hire or classes goes straight back into the centre. Pub giant Punch Taverns has always denied the Bridge Inn was linked to gangs.A spokesman said: “We are delighted to be able to support such a great initiative such as this. By investing in local projects like the community centre, we are able to better utilise our  properties and give something back to the whole community for others to enjoy for years to come.”

29 Jun 2013 08:07

 

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