Prestwich News
Day care centre plan for bowling pavilion
11:20am Thursday 2nd February 2012
AN underused bowling pavilion at a Bury park could be given a new lease of life in a £190,000 scheme.
The centre at Clarence Park, in Walmersley Road, is currently used just twice a week during the bowling season by two teams.
So Bury Council is proposing to use the pavilion as a base for its learning disability day service and to open a community cafe.
A report being put before the council’s executive next Wednesday states: “The proposal will secure the future of the bowling facilities, a community asset, and provide an up to date venue for those who access them.
“It will also provide a community base for people with a physical and/or learning disability.
“The base will operate a cafe which will be open to the public. This will provide a community resource encouraging more people to the park.
“It will also provide the opportunity for people with a physical and/or learning disability to volunteer in the cafe as part of their time in day services.”
The new centre would form part of the modernisation of the learning disability day service, which has been taking place for the past 10 years.
Benefits include the base being within easy reach of public transport, encouraging people with disabilities to get involved in social and physical activities, and breaking down segregation between disabled people and the rest of the community.
The location is seen as ideal because 21 people already using day centres live in the Walmersley area.
As part of the scheme, a day service base would be created at the Bury Adult Learning Centre, in Haymarket, and all adult care training would be transferred there from the Seedfield Centre in Walmersley. A further £12,036 would be spent modernising the facilities there.
The overall plans would support the council’s aim to transfer day services from Seedfield, William Kemp Heaton and Whittle Pike day centres.