Volunteers at a 100-year-old community centre are looking to raise £500,000 to rebuild and improve the site.

There are plans to restore Mill End Community Centre in Rickmansworth to its former glory but major investment is needed.

The charity aims to promote the benefit of people living in the area and to advance education as well as to provide community facilities for recreation and leisure.

The building has served the community for more than a century in a variety of ways and is raising £500,000 for rebuilding and improvements.

Rebuilding will expand facilities to include new rooms including a mezzanine, a larger carpark and general modernisation.

Watford Observer:

The centre is owned by the charity Mill End and District Community Association with 20 percent of the building still retained by Herts County Council.

As part of the fundraising appeal, a six-week writing workshop is taking place next month.

Organiser Debra Smith-Gorick, who is a volunteer at the centre, said: “Writing about my early childhood in the Caribbean has been quite a cathartic experience so I encourage everyone to start to write as we all have a story to tell.”

She will also be joined by former head teacher Mike Lansdown a member of Watford Writer and who also written a novel and two educational books.

Mr Lansdown said: “As writing can be a challenging exercise even for the most experienced of us we are not expecting miracles we just want to help you make a start.”

Watford Observer:

Manager, Susan Gambula, pictured with writer Mike Lansdown

The workshop will take place June 14 to July 19 from 10.30 to 12.30. Other classes available are Travel French and Teaching English as a Second Language (TEFL).

To book email gorick@btinternet.com