, following a £50,000 refurbishment project.){kind=link}
Almorah Road Community Centre is hosting an autumn gardening event on Saturday (18 November), following a £50,000 refurbishment project.
The event, supported by an Islington Council grant, will see people planting bulbs and flowers to create a colourful garden in the spring.
Reopening after three years, the Centre also hosted an ‘Autumn Party’ on 7 October to celebrate its re-opening, during which it inaugurated its brand-new garden. The free event was attended by 120 people, including Cllr Nick Wayne, and featured an art class, acupuncture, badminton and gardening among other activities.
Sandy Dennys-McClure, who has acted as Chair of the Centre since 2018, said: “The vision of the refurbishment was to create a community garden, a safe space for people to enjoy and connect with nature.
“The community centre is a place of mental health, well-being and socialisation, and the new garden is a key part of that. It’s very calming to come here.”
Prior to its re-launch, the Almorah had been closed since early 2020. According to Ms. Dennys-McClure, the re-opening has been delayed several times due to rises in building costs.
The volunteer-run centre holds a variety of activities on a weekly basis, including Bingo, art classes, dog owner meetings, and massage therapies.
Ms Dennys-McClure said: “It’s nice to see different things on offer this year. We never had art classes or massage therapy before. It’s now attracting different people with different interests.
“We really like giving people the opportunity to experiment with the space. If someone has an idea, they can try it out here.”
She hopes that the Almorah community, much like the new garden, will “grow organically”.
Aspiring journalist, particularly interested in covering politics and sports.