Foundry Street Community Centre Newsletter: May 2026

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A Busy Month at FSCC!

May has been another action-packed month at Foundry Street Community Centre. Although our Trustee Meeting was delayed by a week due to the Bank Holiday, both the Trustee Meeting (12th May) and Management Meeting (25th May) were packed with updates and plans for the future.

From replacing our stair lift and sprucing up the building to welcoming community groups and hosting special events, there has been plenty happening behind the scenes and out front!

 

🔨 Maintenance & Improvements

A New Stair Lift Arrives!

One of our biggest projects this month was replacing the stair lift.

To save the centre money, we organised a special Volunteer Day on 8th May. Rather than paying £500 for removal, a team of trustees and volunteers rolled up their sleeves and removed the old lift, electrics and wall fixings themselves.

The new lift was installed by Leodis on 15th May, with final works and staff training completed on 18th May.

A huge thank you to everyone involved!

Freshening Things Up

We're exploring ways to brighten the ground-floor toilets without the cost of a full refurbishment just yet. As a trial, we've painted some of the pink wall tiles in the ladies' toilets and are pleased with the initial results.

We also discovered seven unused curtains while tidying storage cupboards. These were donated to a charity supporting families moving into new homes who may struggle to afford essentials such as curtains.

 

🧹 Volunteer Saturday Success

Although only five volunteers attended our Volunteer Saturday on 30th May, they achieved an impressive amount:

✅ Deep clean of the kitchen and dishwasher
✅ Window sills cleaned throughout all three floors
✅ Wall scuffs removed in the Undercroft
✅ Side entrance door stained with two fresh coats
✅ Electrical cables tidied in the Eric Taylor Lounge
✅ Fire door adjustments and repairs completed
✅ New double coat hooks installed
✅ Security bolt fitted to hall fire door
✅ Weed treatment applied to top car park area
✅ Vacuum cleaner serviced and cleaned
✅ New festival trolley assembled and ready for action
✅ Moss treatment applied outside side entrance
✅ Kitchen drainage leak repaired
✅ Two folding trestle tables repaired

Thank you to all our volunteers who gave up their time to help keep the centre looking its best.

Outside Improvements

While the stair lift installation was taking place, volunteers also stained the Eric Taylor fire door and side panels and varnished the hall fire door and frame, giving both areas a much fresher appearance.

 

👥 Our User Groups

While a few groups have paused or finished recently, we're delighted that several new groups are expressing interest in joining the centre.

Groups Taking a Break

  • Jigsaw Club has paused for the summer and hopes to return in the autumn.
  • Mands' evening Tai Chi classes finished at the end of May 

Regular Weekly Users

Our centre continues to host a fantastic range of activities:

🥊 Sowerby Bridge Boxing Club
🥋 Sowerby Bridge Karate Club
🏓 Monday Table Tennis Club
🏓 Thursday Table Tennis Club
👟 Cindy's Silver Stompers
💪 Keep Active Fitness
🇪🇸 Spanish Lessons (Languages for Fun)
🇫🇷 French Lessons (Languages for Fun)
🤝 Narcotics Anonymous
🧘 Yoga with Deb
💙 Unmasked Mental Health
🤗 Big Hugs
☯ Tai Chi with Olivia
💬 Chat Room & Family History
🌈 Rainbows, Brownies & Guides
👟 Seated Stompers
🏉 Rugby Tots
🧩 Spectrum Neurodivergent Support Group

Monthly Events

  • 🥁 Medicine Drum Journey
  • ☕ Grief Café
  • 👕 Children's Clothes Swap

One-Off and Special Bookings

  • Block Buddy returned for another session.
  • Yorkshire Water hired the Eric Taylor Lounge to meet local residents regarding replacement water pipe works on Sowerby New Road.

 

📅 Looking Ahead

We've got plenty coming up over the next few months:

🌿 Nature Talk with Simon Zonenblick  – 21st July

🎤 Narcotics Anonymous Speaker Jam – Saturday 27th June

🏛 FSCC Heritage Exhibition – Sunday 28th June as part of the Sowerby Bridge Music Festival

Visitors can enjoy tea, coffee, biscuits and a peaceful space while exploring local history.

New Opportunities Being Discussed

We're currently exploring:

  • A new Friday morning fitness class with Jayne
  • Home-school baking sessions through Big Hugs

Watch this space!

 

❤️ Community Connections

Andrew attended the PCN Meeting at Elland Hub on 21st May to provide an update on activities at FSCC.

We also enjoyed meeting local residents at the Community Event held in the newly completed Town Square on 24th May.

Plans are underway for FSCC to take part in:

🌳 The Great Get-Together at Crow Wood Park
🎺 Rushbearing Festival

 

🙌 Volunteer & Trustee Contributions

This month our incredible team donated:

Trustees

150 hours

Volunteers

58.25 hours

That's over 208 hours given freely to support the community and keep the centre thriving.

A huge thank you to every trustee and volunteer who gives their time, energy and enthusiasm to Foundry Street Community Centre. We couldn't do it without you.

 

🔭 Plans for June

Here's what we're working on next:

🔨 Continue exterior decorating (weather permitting)

🏛 Prepare plans for redecorating the Hall, including:

  • Plaster repairs
  • Window frame repairs
  • Crack repairs

💡 Investigate upgrading Hall lighting to energy-efficient LEDs

🔥 Arrange boiler servicing and maintenance

 

Thank You

Every activity, improvement, event and success at Foundry Street Community Centre is made possible by the people who use, support and volunteer at the centre.

Thank you for being part of our community. We look forward to seeing you throughout June!

The FSCC Team