Lightfoots Solicitors is delighted to announce our sponsorship of Thame Community & Youth Centre. Thame has a growing youth and elderly population and the town amenities are not keeping pace with this growth, or towns of a similar size. For over a decade residents have been calling for a community centre, with our youth desperately needing a facility where they can feel safe, come together and obtain advice and support from youth workers, and our senior residents needing more community and intergenerational engagement and interaction.
This exciting project will revitalise the Southern Road recreation area of Thame and provide:
– flexible and rentable spaces including a new 200 capacity community hall for events and a dedicated youth club
– a new, larger entrance to Scout Headquarters
– landscaped exterior spaces with a rejuvenated play area, public toilets with disabled access and baby changing facilities, seating and a kiosk
– more car parking with EV chargers and bike racks
– improved access to the Cuttle Brook nature reserve
The Youth Centre will help reduce anti-social behaviour, improve emotional and physical wellbeing, give people new skills for work and life, especially those facing the greatest challenges. The Centre will also be self-sustaining through income from pre-identified potential anchor tenants, other regular and ad-hoc hires and from statutory and charitable grants.
Lightfoots Solicitors has been part of Thame’s community for over 170 years, with multiple generations of families both as clients and members of Lightfoots (Henry Ovens followed both his Father, John Ovens, and Grandfather, Charles Ovens, into the firm). Supporting our community is really important to us and being able to play a part in protecting and enhancing the quality of life in Thame for the next three generations, and beyond, is an honour. By sponsoring this important project now we will be able to support the existing work that takes place for the young people of Thame, while the building project takes place.
A project of this scale requires a lot of funding, and the estimated cost of the Thame Community & Youth Centre is £4.4 million. Thame Town Council plans to fund the project through existing developer funds specifically allocated to the projects, grants, sponsorships, donors, fundraising, and a government public works loan. The Council need public support to be able to fund the borrowing and are asking local residents to share their views and help make this project a reality.
Please visit www.thametowncouncil.gov.uk/communityandyouthcentre/ to share your views and outline any ways you can support this important project (financial or otherwise).