In the face of the rising cost of living, the West Marsh Community Centre is more important than ever
From left, Lauren Little, Chris Stanland and Josh Bray at the West Marsh Community Centre(Image: Submitted)
Grimsby’s West Marsh Community Centre has more power thanks to renewables giant, Ørsted. The firm donated £13,600 for a new eco-friendly boiler and support for young families with new containers for the West Marsh Baby Bank.
West Marsh Community Centre serves as a vibrant hub, offering classes, a warm space and a baby bank. The multi-use games area (MUGA pitch) hosts friendly matches between taxi drivers, helping to sustain community spirit and connection in an isolated job.
In the face of rising living costs, the centre’s baby bank provides essential items for families with babies and young children up to age seven, including nappies, wipes, clothing, and, when available, bigger items like cots and buggies. All items are free to parents due to donations and dedicated volunteers.
Ørsted’s East Coast Community Fund grant will provide a switch to a more energy-efficient heating system, reducing the centre’s carbon footprint while delivering warmer, more reliable spaces for classes, events, and community activities. The separate, smaller emergency grant allowed the centre to purchase weatherproof, secure containers to protect the baby bank’s stock from rain leaks and enable better space to manage stock.
“This funding marks an important step in making West Marsh Community Centre more resilient and sustainable, so we can keep offering vital services to families and the wider community,” said Chris Stanland, Community Development Worker of West Marsh Community Centre.
“By investing in a greener heating system, we’re reducing running costs and emissions, and the weatherproof storage grant helps ensure babies and families don’t face gaps in essential supplies.” Lauren Little, Senior Stakeholder Manager, Ørsted added: “Ørsted is proud to support local communities through programmes that align with our energy transition goals.
“The heating upgrade demonstrates our commitment to cleaner, more efficient energy in community facilities, and the emergency storage grant reflects our focus on safeguarding critical community services during challenging times.” The centre’s work – providing a warm space, education and activity opportunities, and the baby bank – has become even more essential as families navigate higher living costs.
The combined impact of these two grants will help ensure West Marsh Community Centre remains a welcoming, reliable hub for residents now and well into the future. The West Marsh Baby Bank is open on Thursdays 9.30am to 11.30am, with more times being added during spring.
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