Prince's Trust brushes upto give Bardney a big boost

The Bardney Gateway Centre - formerly the Youth Club building - in Harvey Kent Way is now a Community Centre and Youth Venue.

A new charity, called the Gateway Centre, is now running the building and intends to keep the youth club going.

The building needs renovating and the project which will cost many thousands of pounds.

However, the charity has received a boost over the last two weeks with help from Lincoln Prince’s Trust.

When Prince Charles left the Navy in 1976, he used his severance pay to establish the Trust.

Now a leading youth charity, it features a ‘team initiative’ which is a 12-week voluntary course for 16-25 year olds.

Courses are designed to allow youngsters to develop their personal qualities while contributing to a local community via a two week voluntary project.

The Lincoln ‘Team 45’ project saw them paint the Gateway Centre with team members first raising £500 to buy paints and equipment.

Carriw How, chair of the Gateway Centre, said: “The team of a 10 young people, under the auspices of Leigh Perkins and Mark Mason, have transformed the building into a light and airy space fit for community use. They’ve made a lovely job of it.”

Along with Jenny Wilkins (secretary) and Brian Wilkins (treasurer and buildings manager), Carrie has built a great relationship with Team 45 - often over the bacon butties and cups of tea.

Team 45 spokesman Leigh Perkins said: “We have never before been looked after like this when we have been on a community project.

“It has been a really great experience for all the team and they all feel a strong personal involvement with a project where they really know they have been appreciate.”

There were concerns that the Gateway Centre would be the Trust’s last team initiative in Lincolnshire because of funding issues.

But at an end-of-project celebration and certificate presentation at the Gateway Centre, it was announced a new 11th hour funding package had been secured from Leeds University/.