'˜Hidden' community centre relaunched

A community centre on the Highfields estate in Wick has been relaunched.
By The Newsroom
Published 25th Aug 2016, 09:53 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 02:28 BST

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Nanny Annie, left, and manager Teresa Maguire at the newly-refurbished Curious Hub Community Centre on the Highfields estate in Wick. Picture: Derek Martin DM16137424aNanny Annie, left, and manager Teresa Maguire at the newly-refurbished Curious Hub Community Centre on the Highfields estate in Wick. Picture: Derek Martin DM16137424a
Nanny Annie, left, and manager Teresa Maguire at the newly-refurbished Curious Hub Community Centre on the Highfields estate in Wick. Picture: Derek Martin DM16137424a

Curious Hub Community Centre is based at Chilgrove House, Kimberry, off Courtwick Road, behind the Mace Express shop.

The centre has long been underused, with just an art group running one morning a week for the last few years.

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Now, Teresa Maguire has taken over as the voluntary manager and with the help of former royal nanny Anne Dolphin is aiming to build it up to have activities every day of the week.

The garden area DM16137434aThe garden area DM16137434a
The garden area DM16137434a

Teresa said: “My aim is to help the residents of the estate, and people further out in the long run. I want to get the community to gather around and be nice to one another again, so there is a real community feel to the area.

“It is not been used a lot over the years – it never seems to have worked out.

“We started with absolutely nothing but we have managed to get some grants and some funding together for new flooring and to decorate the centre to smarten it up.

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“There are a lot of people wanted to go out and do things but there is nothing available nearby. They need a bit of stability here. We want it to be a friendly, happy place. It is about friendship and trying to stop isolation.”

There is a kitchen and adjoining space for table and chairs DM16137439aThere is a kitchen and adjoining space for table and chairs DM16137439a
There is a kitchen and adjoining space for table and chairs DM16137439a

Anne will be running a mother and baby group from September, to help the many young mothers in Wick.

“A lot of these girls live on their own in a flat,” she explained.

“We want it to be so they can come in and chat and their little ones can play. It is nice a quiet, home from home, a place for everybody to come.

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“We want it to be a centre where people can come and feel relaxed with their children. We give sound, common sense advice, we are not a clinic.”

The centre is tucked away and many people on the estate do not even realise it is there but Teresa and Anne have made it warm and welcoming, so hope that once people find it, they will return again and again.

Find Curious Hub Community Centre on Facebook for more information.

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