Massive Cash Boost For Organisation At The Heart Of Keighley

A major renovation is underway at a long-standing community organisation in Keighley, after almost a quarter of a million pounds worth of funding.

The Sangat Centre received £230,000 from the Keighley Town Deal Board for essential refurbishments to its Marlborough Street premises.

It has been based in the old Victorian building for more than 20 years and the venue was in urgent need of modernisation.

The redevelopment will enable the association to continue to offer social day care, adult education activities, youth activities, holiday playschemes and other services to the hundreds of people it sees each week.

Bradford Council's executive member for regeneration, planning and transport, Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, said: “Keighley residents deserve a building that reflects the character of the local community.

“Through the Towns Fund, the Sangat Centre will be modernised to be energy efficient, meet the digital and online needs of service users and be an accessible, practical environment for an extensive range of crucial community services.”

Ian Hayfield, Chair of Keighley’s Town Deal Board, said: “This renovation means the Sangat Centre can function more efficiently and effectively for the people it serves. It also means the building will be a sustainable, productive place for many years into the future.”

The work is expected to take about two years and the centre will remain open as usual throughout. Refurbishment is already underway, with new flooring installed and a new roof having been fitted. The modernisation also includes some big projects such as a new IT suite and a mezzanine floor.

Riasat Ali, Sangat Centre Manager, said: “The building needed constant repairs and we were continually having to patch up leaks such as water pouring through the roof, as well as dealing with ongoing heating, boiler and electrical issues. It was so difficult and costly to make repairs on a piecemeal basis and we are so grateful to have this opportunity to properly upgrade the building. We’ve been using local tradespeople to do the work, to put the money back into the area.

“The improvements we are undertaking have come from the feedback of our service users and our community, which is truly at the centre of our vision for the future. The refurbishment means we can expand our provision and welcome even more people to make use of our services.”

In addition to this funding, the Sangat Centre has also received £140,000 of match funding towards the refurbishment from the Community Ownership Fund.

About the Towns Fund

The Towns Fund is a Government-funded support programme to boost the economies of towns across the UK. The programme is part of the Government’s Levelling Up plan. Decisions on grants are made by Towns Fund Boards for each town, which are made up of private sector representatives with support from Bradford Council.