Lisa Lindsay in the main seminar room, filled on the day with Creative Fibre members, there for one of their regular meetings.
A funding application has been lodged to kickstart a significant refurbishment project at Taylor Made Spaces.
The long-term project will take place over three stages, with the first to start in late January – assuming the funding is granted. It is intended to modernise existing facilities, refreshing what is there now to fit with the changing needs of today’s community and provide a level of future-proofing.
The facility was formerly known as the Cambridge Health and Community Centre. It was re-launched as Taylor Made Spaces last October with a new vision and a new name, reflecting the street in which it sits.
The original trust name remained in place – the Cambridge Health and Community Trust – although changes were made to the trust deed. Trust chairman Lloyd Buscomb said the decision to refurbish is the first major move taken since the changeover.
“That first step alone will cost around $200,000. It’s crucial we secure funding from various groups and organisations as we don’t want to go into debt to fund the project. This is about working within our limitations.”
He said while the existing facilities still functioned, they were now looking tired and an upgrade would bring them into line with other competing spaces available in Cambridge.
Centre manager Lisa Lindsay said the success or otherwise of the funding application would likely come around mid-December.
“But we are planning as if it’s happening… because we have to,” she said. “We have engaged an interior designer who will project manage it for us. Ideally, we’d like to get started in late January.”
Stage One of the project will involve the refurbishment of the existing foyer/entrance area, the corridor leading through to the main seminar room, an upgrade of the toilets and bathrooms, new flooring and furniture, and the installation of a commercial kitchen.
Stage Two will update the area to the left of the foyer, including the upgrade of a smaller internal kitchen which is original to the building, community rooms, meeting rooms and existing toilets, and Stage Three will focus on outside buildings.
Both Lloyd and Lisa said the centre had benefited from last October’s relaunch. The rebrand coincided with the 60th anniversary of the centre’s founding as a purpose-built maternity home. It closed that operation down 26 years later and became a multi-purpose community centre with facilities of varying sizes becoming available for hire.
Since then, it has become a well-used community hub, with businesses, organisations, clubs and other groups using the spaces across a seven-days a week cycle.
Lisa said there has been an increase in usage since last October’s launch as Taylor Made Spaces.
“We launched a new website around the same time, and that helped. There are new groups coming in now, some from out of town.
“One thing we have noticed is that there are considerably fewer people confusing us with Leamington’s Cambridge Community House, which used to happen. Adopting the name Taylor Made Spaces has been central to that, given that we are situated in Taylor St.”
