A COMMUNITY centre that was in danger of folding 12 months ago has had its future secured after a successful year.

The Old Grammar School in Whalley was taken over by residents in 2013 after Lancashire County Council terminated its contract to run the facility.

Rebranded the Whalley Education Foundation and Community Centre, the trustees and committee members set about building the venue in Station Road back up from scratch.

Now, in the wake of a £4,000 grant from Whalley Parish Council, bosses at the centre have declared that its future has been secured for at least the next few years.

The community centre is housed in the Grade II-listed former grammar school, which was built in 1725 and was extended in the early 19th century.

It had been leased by the county council since 2006, but they pulled out in October last year citing budget cuts.

The centre had previously been run by Accrington and Rossendale College since the early 2000s.

The building ceased to be a school in the 1880s and was converted to the Whalley Education and Community Centre in March 1914.

New groups have now booked up rooms in the building after a friends group was established to help advertise the centre.

Ribble Valley Borough Councillor Terry Hill, who is a trustee, said: “The main objective at the start was to save the children’s play group.

“The committee and group of volunteers have done an enormous amount of work over the last year to build up the strength of the centre and I must pay tribute to them.

“Without their actions in 2013, this facility would have been lost to the community and the building would have fallen into disrepair.

“Instead they have helped to redecorate it and promote it as a recognised venue in the village.”

In November last year an attempt was made by the building’s trustees and Cllr Hill to keep the centre open for the community.

A campaign was launched to attract new tenants for the centre so that it could keep operating.

Last year the council said that more than 1,130 people signed up for courses at the centre from 2010/11 but that number dropped to 866 for 2012/13.

The council said the centre was only used for 32 per cent of the year in 2010/11 and only for 18 per cent in 2012/13.

At the time, a spokesman said that there should have been more than 5,000 enrolments at the centre.