History of the New Milton Community Centre, 1960 - 2020
4. Potted History 1960-2020.
| Formation of the Community Association. | |
| --1960-- | |
| Sep. 9th | 70 local organisations met to discuss the formation of a Community Association. A Steering Committee was set up to look at the feasibility. It was initially thought that the Community Centre might share premises with a new Adult Wing in connection with the new Gore Road secondary school. (Much time & effort was spent on this before it was eventually dropped) |
| Sep. | First Newsletter published. |
| Oct. 4th | First meeting of Steering Committee. |
| --1961-- | |
| Feb. 9th | Findings of the Steering Committee presented at Public Meeting. |
| Formation of Association proposed. | |
| Mar. 21st | First event organised for Members. |
| Apr. 27th | First General Meeting of the Association. |
| Many people present were convinced that the Association should cater for recreational and social activities rather than further education. | |
| Jul. 21st | Visit to see Gosport Community Centre. |
| Dec. 4th | Association saw need for temporary premises. |
| --1962-- | |
| Mar. | Building Development Fund set up. |
| Many & various fund-raising activities. | |
| May 3rd | Constitution adopted. |
| Finding a Temporary Home | |
| --1963 to 67-- | |
| Waste paper collected to raise funds. | |
| --1963-- | |
| Activities taking place in other people's halls etc. | |
| Members keen to have a Centre of their own. | |
| Jul. | Proposal to build a new Town Hall in Lymington and sell the Council Offices in Station Road. |
| Jul. 18th | Association ask that Council Offices in Station Road be retained for the use of New Milton inhabitants. |
| --1964-- | |
| May. | Town Clerk asks if Association would like to use the Council Offices. |
| Oct. | Resolution passed for the Association and Ratepayers' Association to determine how the Council Offices might be used as a Community Centre. |
| Nov. 13th | Scheme presented to Borough Council. |
| --1965-- | |
| Nov. 3rd | Association registered as a Charity. |
| --1966-- | |
| Jan. 1st | Original occupation date proposed but necessary structural work delayed. |
| Oct. | Community Centre opens. |
| Oct. 31st | Executive Committee met for the first time in former Council Offices with building work still underway. |
| --1967-- | |
| Jan. | Choir formed. |
| Feb. 4th | Community Centre formally opened. |
| --1968-- | |
| Jun. | Men's Get-Together formed. |
| --1969-- | |
| Booklet: Acorn to Sapling published. | |
| Finding a Permanent Home | |
| --1972-- | |
| Mar. | First plans drawn up for a new Centre building. |
| --1973-- | |
| Aug. 13th | Following purchase of the large private house, Ashcombe, by the Association, demolition began to make way for our new Centre. |
| --1974-- | |
| May. | We move into our new building in Osborne Road. |
| --1977-- | |
| Nov. | Following more fund-raising, we took over the building with the addition of a first-floor extension. |
| Celebrations | |
| --2010-- | |
| Sep. | Series of events held to celebrate the Association's Golden Anniversary. |
| --2011-- | |
| Booklet: Acorn to Noble Oak published. | |
| --2015-- | |
| Nov. 28th | Mayor of New Milton officially opened our newly landscaped gardens and the replacement of the entrance canopy, funded by generous donations from the estates of Irene Barnes & Irene Lucy. |
| --2017/18-- | |
| The Jubilee Singers (Jan 1967) and Men's Get-Together (June 1968) celebrate their 50th Anniversary. | |
| --2019-- | |
| Our gardens included in New Milton's participation in Britain in Bloom and the Town is awarded a Gold Medal. | |
| --2020-- | |
| Oct. 1st | Rose, Diamond Days, planted by the Mayor to celebrate our Jubilee. |