THE doors to the long-awaited community centre for the Wycombe Marsh were finally opened to the public last week.

Wycombe District Council Chairman Cllr Lesley Clarke officially opened the Wrights Meadow Centre in Wrights Meadow Road on Friday morning to the delight of residents and long-standing campaigners.

Valerie Kemp - whose grandparents used to control Wrights Meadow Farm before it was developed - was the first person through the door.

The centre is a joint project between the Trades and Social Club and the Heart of Ryemead Community Association, which was set up seven years ago to secure a site for a community building.

Peter Cartwright – a former councillor who is on the community centre steering group – said: “It has taken seven years for it to come to fruition but it is wonderful to finally see the community centre open.

“We used to have eight pubs and community buildings, which went down to four, despite the Marsh community mushrooming significantly in recent years, but now we have this centre.

“It has come full circle in many ways as that area was farmland which the whole community used for fun fairs, sports days and events.”

Residents were invited to look around the premises on Friday afternoon before the centre hosted its first official event on Saturday, a family fun day hosted by the three churches in the Marsh.

The steering group is still appealing for volunteers to help run the £600,000 centre which was funded by grants and developer funds.

Mr Cartwright said: “We have had about 12 people register an interest on Friday but it is now about following that through as we need people to run the bar and organise various bits and pieces.”

If you are interested in volunteering your services to help run the community centre, email wrightsmeadowcentre@gmail.com.