Barratt Homes has donated £1,500 to The Whitchurch Community Centre Trust, The Brownlow Community Centre, to facilitate essential repairs and upgrades.

The donation comes as a part of the company's community fund scheme aimed at supporting charities across the UK.

The Brownlow Community Centre, formerly Whitchurch Junior School, is now managed by trustees offering weekly activities to over 1,000 beneficiaries.

It also provides weekend party hire and runs a preschool named Little Bears for local parents' benefit.

The donated funds will be specifically used to create a new public meeting room in the community centre as well as repairs and upgrades throughout the centre.

Chris Smith, chair of the Whitchurch community centre trust said: "Without support from local organisations, we would be unable to make essential long-term repairs and improvements.

"Like many charity-run community centres, we have a backlog of repairs and upgrades awaiting funding.

"We currently have a project to bring a former staff room into service as a public meeting room, and the kind donation from Barratt Homes will help to fund this."

The existing meeting rooms at the centre are highly utilized by the Shropshire Council Social Services along with numerous local businesses and organisations.

The charity anticipates the new alterations will bolster its reputation as a top choice for room hire in Whitchurch following an earlier refurbishment of one of its meeting rooms.

During evenings, the centre operates as a bustling community hub offering a variety of community activities and groups.

These include line dancing, aerobics group, Whitchurch Town Band, The Rock Music School, Border Singers, and Club Generation — a social and support group for adults with learning difficulties.

Adrian Evans, managing director at Barratt Homes West Midlands, said: "We are proud to have been able to support The Whitchurch Community Centre Trust, which offers such a diverse range of support and services through Whitchurch and the wider Shropshire area.

"It’s important that we support those in need as it can make a world of difference for the beneficiaries involved.

"All trustees and volunteers at the community centre work incredibly hard and we are delighted to support their efforts."

Further details about the community centre's services can be found on their website at The Whitchurch Community Centre.