Emergency talk on Leeds hub's future

As previously reported in the Yorkshire Evening Post, Bramley Community Centre was put on a list of 10 Leeds venues to be reviewed by Leeds City Council bosses as they bid to save £250,000 on the buildings by 2017. This was after a report to decision-makers suggested many of the targeted community centres were expensive to run or of poor quality, while some had thousands of pounds of backlog maintenance bills.

Now local charity Bramley Elderly Action has set up a special meeting to discuss the future of the Bramley centre on Waterloo Lane, and organisers want local people to come along and have their say.

The meeting, which has been organised with the full support of local councillors Caroline Gruen, Julie Heselwood and Kevin Ritchie, will take place at the centre itself from 2pn on Monday, January 18.

Bramley Elderly Action members use the building six or seven times a week and its future was the subject of considerable discussion at the organisation’s AGM in October.

Leeds City Council’s cabinet agreed at a meeting in November that Bramley Community Centre should stay open for the time being, while options for its future are considered.

Lee Ingham, general manager of Bramley Elderly Action, said: “We responded to the initial consultation on the future of the centre and we remain committed to working with the council to seek an effective use of this valuable community resource. We want to make sure that our members, and everyone in the community, have a chance to give their views on what should happen to it. So do come along and have your say.”

Bramley Elderly Action is an independent charity which provides support for older people in Bramley, Swinnow and parts of Stanningley.