Over 340 local residents recently celebrated the new community centre, which has been delivered by Cambridge Investment Partnership (CIP) as part of The Meadows and Buchan Street development, enjoying live music, entertainment, and complimentary food and drink.

Hosted by CIP, the event provided an opportunity to mark the progress being made at the development and showcase the new community centre. The modern facility includes a state-of-the-art double-height hall, a family centre, a youth wing, a café, a pre-school, and bookable meeting rooms, providing valuable resources for residents.

As part of the celebrations, the Mayor of Cambridge, Cllr Jenny Gawthrope Wood, officially opened The Nigel Gawthrope Arts and Performance Centre in honour of her late husband, former Cambridge Mayor and Councillor.

Cllr Jenny Gawthrope Wood said, “Nigel was a dedicated music, dance, art, film lover, and photographer who liked nothing more than a night out. Naming this hall in his memory is a huge honour, and I hope those who use the fantastic new centre have as much enjoyment as I know Nigel would have.”

Residents enjoyed the afternoon with performances by singers from Romsey Mill and local singers and songwriters, as well as the Bedazzle Arts and Tai Chi groups, who run classes from the community centre. Attendees also had the exciting opportunity to practise their football skills with players from Cambridge United.

Taste buds were treated to an array of complimentary culinary delights from MeatEd and Hit Wrap, courtesy of CIP, which were enjoyed by all. 

Cllr Gerri Bird, Executive Councillor for Housing at Cambridge City Council and a CIP board member, said, “It's been wonderful to see so many people attend this event and the delight on their faces as they watch or take part in the entertainment and enjoy the delicious food on offer.

“This new community centre is a fantastic addition to the area, and I know it is already proving extremely popular with local groups and residents. I look forward to attending more events in the future.”

Tom Hill, Managing Director at The Hill Group, said, “This event has been our chance to thank the local community and bring them together to experience the range of facilities available in this new state-of-the-art sustainable community centre.

“Across our programme, we are not only creating new homes for the city, but we are also creating new community facilities where people can enjoy new activities and connect with others because we understand the significance of this.

“Here at The Meadows and Buchan Street, so far we have delivered three community centres as well as a brand-new nursery. And we are providing Sports England-approved football pitches and improvements on the existing open space.”

CIP will be delivering 28 one and two-bedroom council-rent apartments at Buchan Street, while The Meadows will see a total of 78 one and two-bedroom apartments for council rent. Prioritising sustainability, all the homes are designed to be gas-free to reduce the impact of fuel poverty and feature increased insulation to help prevent heat loss. 

In addition to the homes, a new recreational space in the heart of The Meadows’ development combines a café terrace with a safeguarded community garden, a contained lawn and play area, table tennis, a MUGA (multi-use games area), and new skate and scooter ramps. Terraced planting, new trees, and ornamental planting create buffers between public and private spaces. The hugely popular football pitches have been re-laid to address existing issues with drainage and an uneven playing area and are now Sports England-approved.

The woodland area has been enhanced with planting, bat and bird boxes, and log piles. There is supplementary tree planting throughout and a wildflower meadow to soften the transition from street to grassland.

Generous green corridors with wide footpaths, new trees, and ornamental planting are also being created through the layout of the residential and community hub linking the development with the surrounding area.

For further information about Cambridge Investment Partnership please visit www.ip-cambridge.co.uk