Funding boost for the Good Shepherd Centre

A charity which empowers economically and socially disadvantaged people in Keighley is set to modernise its facilities after a £140,000 boost.

The money from the government-funded Keighley Towns Fund will be spent on improving the hall at the Good Shepherd Centre, where it has been based at Presbytery House on West Lane since 2017.

Ian Hayfield, Chairman of the Keighley Towns Fund said: “It is a great pleasure to be able to provide funding for work that will make a huge difference to the lives of local people for many years to come.”

The hall of the old building will be portioned into two spaces and the ceiling will be lowered, as well as a full refurbishment of the windows, to help the room stay warm.

Dorota Plata, manager at the Good Shepherd Centre, said: “The funding will make sure a huge difference to the work we do here. The centre supports on average 200 people a week and we can serve up to 100 dinners in the hall. The space is used for everything from mother and baby groups, regular luncheon club and craft group as well as being used by colleges to deliver a variety of courses and youth gatherings, on top of community events and vaccination clinics.

“The centre supports communities in many different ways. The ethos is very welcoming which has been vital in building up trust with a number of different communities. We are well-known amongst statutory bodies for having good relationships with “hard-to-reach” people in this area.

“The refurbishment means we can make better use of the space to support people who really need it. The new room will be functional, inviting, warm and welcoming.”

Bradford Council’s Lead Member for Transport, Regeneration and Planning Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw said: “We are delighted to have been able to support the Good Shepherd Centre with their bid for funding. The work this charity does with so many varied services to support such a diverse range of disadvantaged people is incredible and very much valued in Keighley.”