A COMMUNITY centre in the Clay Country has been celebrating a significant upgrade.

An open morning at the Treviscoe Institute & Community Centre gave villagers the chance to try out new facilities installed thanks to recent funding.

A total of £55,842 was allocated from Cornwall Council’s Community Levelling Up Programme, on behalf of the government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Alongside structural work, a range of facilities were added to expand the activities that can be delivered and increase private bookings.

The improvements include: a new accessible entrance and easy clean flooring to the main hall; solar powered lighting for the car park; energy efficient hand-dryers; wi-fi installation; a large interactive whiteboard; and a public address sound system and projection screen.

Treasurer Julie Floyd, who has led the project, said: “The committee would like to thank everyone who popped along to see the lovely improvements to the hall.

“We are already starting to see new activities for local residents. A new seated yoga class has begun and silver surfers will be commencing shortly.

“The original institute started life in a tin hut in the adjacent hamlet of Little Treviscoe. A snooker table was acquired and a club formed for china clay workers to meet and play.

“In 1985, the institute was relocated to its current site when the clay company gave them a piece of land in central Treviscoe in exchange for their original site. A replacement, sectional building was purchased, transported and erected. The snooker club resumed in its own room and the remaining hall was made available as a community centre.

“The community centre was in danger of never reopening post-Covid but a new committee stepped in. Since then, over £60,000 worth of improvement works have been carried out with the help of funding from Cornish Lithium, St Stephen Parish Council and Cornwall Council.”