A BASINGSTOKE community association has been given a bank-boosting cash injection from Hampshire County Council.

Hatch Warren Community Association, which runs the community centre in Longcross Lane, was just one of two to receive a slice of £103,000 worth of grant funding to update its facilities.

The association has been awarded £58,000 and will use part of the funding to enlarge the community centre’s lounge area.

This will allow the association to expand its after school club, which has a waiting list of 20 children, and provide improved facilities for a range of different groups which use the centre, including parents and toddlers, senior groups, the Women’s Institute and a number of dance and fitness clubs.

In addition, the office space will be updated and the main hall will be sound-proofed.

Councillor Terri Reid, a borough councillor for the Hatch Warren and Beggarwood ward, welcomed the funding telling The Gazette: “It is fantastic news because the community centre does amazingly good work in Hatch Warren.

“About three years ago we had the previous committee who decided they had to call it a day and we thought if we don’t get a new committee we are going to have to close it down. But we got a whole load of fantastic new committee members.”

Cllr Reid added: “It has gone from strength to strength. They are a great committee and they really are the hub of the community.

“It is really good news that they are going to be involved in the provision at the Beggarwood facility when we get that because they are real community experts for what goes on here in Hatch Warren and Beggarwood.”