**UPDATE** - Clean up work has almost been completed at the Community Centre. The glass has been replaced and the inside has been given a deep clean. The Manager and volunteers are just completing the last bits of painting. We had hoped to open mid November but the second lockdown meant that this has had to be put on hold. We are so grateful for all the donations that have helped to make this possible. All the Covid-19 measures are ready to be put in place and we are looking forward to seeing everyone again in the near future, even if it is at a reduced capacity and socially distanced. Thank you.

We need you now!

In the late evening of Wednesday 17th June 2020 a deliberate fire was started at the Priorswood Community Centre.

This act was both senseless and extremely dangerous and as the photos show, has caused a significant amount of damage to our building. As a charity we were already struggling to make ends meet due to being closed during lockdown with no income, this has come as an additional expense we could well do without.

In truth, with the flats situated above, the outcome could have been a whole lot worse, and does not bear thinking about.

During the Coronavirus outbreak our staff and volunteers have continued to offer support to local residents, and this fire has caused a lot of sadness, given all we ever do is try to help.

The centre has been described as a lifeline by regular users especially at this time of isolation, loneliness and deteriorating mental health, we decided to help by putting out books, puzzles and toys to help combat boredom, stimulate the mind and to learn new skills by reading, cooking new recipes and taking care of gardens through new skills learnt from gardening books. Families home educating their children have said the books and toys have been invaluable as they could help themselves to free books to support their homework, this has all been lost due to one persons callous act.

We have set up this page to kindly ask for your help to raise the money to fix the damage caused, and to ensure the Centre can return to helping the local community as soon as possible.

You may not use the Centre yourself, but the support given to some of the most vulnerable in our community is invaluable to those people.

The Community Centre is there for ALL residents of North Taunton, it is your Community Centre. As a community we now need to pull together, any amount, however small will help restore the Centre and demonstrate to the staff and volunteers how much you care.