Kettlethorpe community centre launches urgent appeal following £200K roof damage

Volunteers from The Monica Graham Centre are appealing for help following severe damage to the centre's roof.

A Kettlethorpe community centre has launched an urgent charity fundraiser following damage to its roof.

The popular centre on Standbridge Lane opened in 2008 and is currently home to numerous clubs, organisations and businesses.

But due to severe weather damage over the past 15 years, the centre now has numerous roof issues, which have caused a serious hinderence to the centre and everyone who uses it.

Despite the damage, the centre is remaining open – with volunteers using buckets to collect the water.

Founder, and ex-Wakefield South councillor, Monica Graham said: “The roof has provided a real challenge for us, and we’re struggling.

"But it’s a priority to keep the centre open as we have 500 people a week using our services, and the building.

"There's no where else in Kettletorpe with a community centre – we are standalone and hundreds of children and people are relient on this centre so we can’t just close.”

Originally named the Standbridge Community Centre, the building was officially renamed The Monica Graham Centre in a surprise celebration for the former councillor, earlier this year.

Monica, 83, who has lived in Sandal for more than 30 years, was part of a group which formed a trust in 2006 to lease the building from the local authority.

Under this deal, the volunteer group agreed to fund the upkeeping of the centre, meaning that the council do not provide any financial help for running costs.

Despite this, current volunteers have applied to various South Ward councillors for financial help towards the fund, but are yet to receive a response, after they were quoted £200,000 by numerous contractors to fix the roof in its entirety.

This led to Monica’s son, Richard Graham, launching a fundraiser, with the hope of raising enough money to fix the roof.

Monica said: "I’ve given all I can to keep this centre open and will continue to.

“We help keep children and local streets safe so we have to keep going but we need help – I’d like to think that we’d be supported by local people because of all the work we've done in our time of need.”

To donate to the fundraiser, click here.