We've reopened the Cromwell Centre in Walton-on-Thames

After a full refurbishment, we've reopened the Cromwell Centre, a local community event space, in Walton-on-Thames so invited the local residents to come and take a look.

The event provided an opportunity to welcome residents into the community centre and engage them in shaping how the space would be used going forward. It was encouraging to see strong attendance and valuable feedback from the local community, helping to make sure the centre continues to reflect local needs and priorities.

PiLON, a contractor delivering PA Housing’s kitchen and bathroom programme, supported both the refurbishment of the community centre and the delivery of the event as part of their social value commitments. This has helped to create a more welcoming space for residents to come together.

Colleagues from across PA Housing were joined by a range of external partners, including Surrey Police, Jobcentre Plus, Citizens Advice, Home-Start, and the Repairs Café. Working collaboratively in this way helps to bring together a wide range of support and opportunities for residents, strengthening the impact we can achieve collectively. Last year's TSM results told us that 61% of residents thought that we made a positive contribution to their neighbourhoods. This is something that PA would like to see improve in this year's survey, so we hope that events like this one can demonstrate that positive contribution and impact. 

It was great to see so many residents enjoying the day!

We were joined by lots of local residents, and their children, who really enjoyed all the activities we had on offer, including face painting, colouring, and games - even the sunshine arrived as requested!

Events such as this show the value of community investment and social value in practice, ensuring residents are at the heart of what we do and that local spaces continue to support thriving communities.

Thank you to everyone who helped put this event together, the support from our local partners and stakeholders, and of course to our residents who we hope will enjoy using the refurbished Cromwell Community Centre for many years to come.