The Phoenix Centre
The Community Centre for the People of Sandwich Kent
With much regret that The Phoenix Centre's Trustees have decided that we will be not re-open after much soul searching and hard work after the end of the latest lockdown.
The Trustees will 'wind up' the Charity, per our constitution, and we will return the building to the control of our landlord, Dover District Council.
Like many venues, businesses both small and large, we have struggled to remain viable in the face of the Covid Pandemic and the resultant Lockdowns.
Over the last ten months we have worked with Kent County Council business advisors. We are grateful to have received good support from Dover District Council.
We have received grant support from National Government, and we have worked hard to secure grant support from grant-giving trusts.
We even secured a small grant from the Toll Bridge Fund.
But sadly, this support only helps in the short term, with barely 10% of our hires remaining and a falling income level. Despite the support we have received from KCC and DDC, we cannot see a way forward.
We never dreamed that we would face this situation; who did? We have fought very hard for the last year to secure funding and support to remain open.
When we started here in 2004 we aimed to build an environmentally friendly venue that local people could be proud of, we think we have achieved that, with your help.
We hoped that the Centre would continue to be run by our community for our community for years to come.
Over the years, the Trustees' and volunteers' work has enabled us to win many awards, from Village Hall of the Year, to Eco-Friendly Loo of the Year, twice!
We are proud of our work with local young people and our partnership work with many agencies and organisations, and we are proud of the young people and the changes they made to their own lives and of those around them, including raising £12,000 towards the refurbishment of the Skate Park on The Butts.
The users of the building and the hire groups, the local community, those who shared their skills and knowledge with others, those who offered support and advice, people of all ages that gave up their time to make this community a better place to live and visit, we are proud of you all, we could not have made this work without you.
It remains for us to say that we have enjoyed working and welcoming every one of you over the last seventeen years and would like to take this opportunity to thank you for choosing The Phoenix Centre as the venue for your group activities and family events.
We wish you all well and look forward to seeing you again at stage in the future.
This fantastic journey would not have been possible without you! However, after sincere thought and consideration, we have had no choice but to close, but who knows what will happen next.
We hope that this Award winning environmentally sound building can be given a new lease of life in the future when we as a Nation have got through this terrible crisis.
With sincere best wishes to you for the future, please stay safe!
Here at The Phoenix Centre we complement the range of 'spaces' already available at other community venues in Sandwich and the local Parishes, we aim to fill the gap and offer something new, something fresh and vibrant.
We have a number of unique features that make us an ideal choice of venue for new local groups, regular or one off meetings, workshops, activities, arts, crafts and performances.
The Phoenix Centre has won a range of awards recognising our effort and commitment to the environment The building is a showcase for new environmentally friendly materials and technologies.
The Phoenix Community Resource Hub Ltd, Jubilee Road, Sandwich, Kent
