Warwick dog walkers help kick start £20k fundraising campaign towards new community centre
Dog walkers in Warwick have helped kick off a new fundraising campaign to help raise more money towards a new community centre in the town.
On Sunday October 5, the first ‘Wag and Walk’ event took place, organised by Carol Gough from the ‘Priory Area Community’ residents group.
The aim of the event was to gather people together to build a sense of community, while also raising money for the new Priory Pools Community Centre.
Alex Pearson, the community champion at the Morrisons supermarket in Leamington, also joined the walk with her dog Chester.
Together, the group of dog walkers raised £100 towards the new centre on the edge of Priory Pools.
It will have a large hall and smaller rooms to hire out, a permanent food pantry and a new community cafe.
Simon Pargeter, chair of Priory Area Community Group, said: “We were delighted to welcome 16 friendly furry friends (and owners) who all enjoyed a sunny stroll around Priory Pools area, with a photo stop by the amazing black labrador mural next to the railway underpass.
"Thank you to everyone who joined us – they all seemed to love our certificates and rosettes.
"A big thank you also to Carol for organising the day, Morrisons for providing the dog treats and Margaret Hall for the cake.
"It’s amazing what we can do when we come together and have fun as a community, and hope that we can do this again and raise even more money for Priory Pools Community Centre. We hope to run one again in December so watch this space.”
Priory Pools Community Centre, which is also a charity, recently launched a campaign aiming to encourage residents of Warwick help them raise £20,000 towards the new centre.
So far, they have raised £4,000.
This local appeal forms one part of the larger £2 million campaign already underway, which has raised nearly £1.7 million from trusts and corporate support since being launched in March, and will continue to seek further grants and donations.
Janette Eslick, lead fundraiser and trustee at Priory Pools Community Centre, said: “We hope that you will want to help out in some way to bring this amazing new community facility to Priory Pools, so Warwick can say we have played our part.
"You can join our lottery for just £2 a month, buy a Christmas raffle ticket for just £1, or consider running your own fundraising event or making a donation.
"We would love to see some fun fundraising going on over the coming months. Check out https://www.priorypoolscc.org/ to find out how to get involved.”
Priory Pool Community Centre's next event will be a ‘Halloween Fun Day’ which will take place on Wednesday October 29 with the support of Warwick Town Council, inside the Court House.
If anyone would like to volunteer on the day, would like one of the final tables in the craft fair, or would like to donate some tombola or raffles prizes they should get in touch via https://www.priorypoolscc.org/ or www.facebook.com/PrioryPoolsCommunityCentre