Cllr Pearl Lewis

Archive for the ‘Arts and Leisure’ Category

Thornton College's award winning science lab

I was delighted to attend AVDC’s 2010 Design Awards on Wednesday 10^th November, and even more delighted to see Thornton College win one of the two winners plaques for outstanding design with their new science lab. It was interesting to consider how challenging it can be to take into account the past, present and future of a building and site when considering new designs. The facilities at the lab look incredible, and the judges said it was ‘a beautiful place to study’. I was pleased to be invited by the headmistress to go up to the college and have a look for myself one day.

I went to visit the Queens Park Centre on the 30^th March as I am now on the Board of Directors. I was so impressed by this wonderful facility – it is in an old Victorian school, and has a wonderful feel to it, I felt all nostalgic for a simpler time! The Queens Park Centre runs approximately 60 workshops ranging from pottery to circus skills, and the have the Limelight Theatre for anything from open mic evenings to jazz bands performing. They work to support the cultural strategies of AVDC and BCC, and the demographic they appeal to is huge, which was so pleasing to see – right from unemployed people, those with learning disabilities, problems youths, young children in the holidays and weekends, the schools, the elderly with a hobby, professionals to hire working and exhibition space, and pretty much anyone who wants to learn a hobby or skills, help with community projects or teach their talent to others!

The Queens Park Centre has been established for over thirty years now and they managed to buy the freehold of the building in 2009 from Bucks County Council. The money they receive from AVDC and a trust fund is only 30% of their overall turnover, so they are relatively independent in their business, which is wonderful to see. On the Board of Directors they would like to see me help with marketing and membership drives to increase their revenue, as they are trying to raise over £500,000 to improve the facilities and equipment at the centre.