BORDON'S Phoenix Centre received a major boost last week when it was given cash injection. The Barbados House Association (BHA), which runs the theatre, applied to East Hampshire District Council for a £5,000 one-off grant from the council's corporate projects reserves fund. The funding was given the all-clear at last Wednesday's cabinet meeting held in Petersfield after a background report was submitted. Jane Dawes of the BHA and director of Phoenix, was extremely pleased by the EHDC decision. She said: "It's a one-off payment for this year, and hopefully in 2007, we will be able to obtain three years of funding from the district as one its key clients, so this is for the interim period. "We do such a lot of work in East Hampshire and we, as an organisation, are very pleased that we have an improved relationship with the district council. "We used to be a key client and we are very pleased that we are deemed to be worthy of that status once more. Everything seems to be moving in the right direction." It is believed that for a time the district council favoured community and sports organisations as key clients (which are projects it considers worthy of continued support), rather than the arts. But by considering the community work the Phoenix Centre carries out, council members believed that it fell very neatly into their criteria for key client funding. Mrs Dawes added: "We are also in negotiations with Hampshire County Council for revenue funding. "We receive a lot of help from both councils for various projects, but it really is revenue funding that we need for our staff and to run a building as old as this one, which is always in need of maintenance and repair work." Since the turn of the millennium, the BHA has received more than £23,000 in grants from the EHDC, including £11,125 which went to towards a new heating system last year, and £2,000 for the town's arts festival scheduled for July this year. The Phoenix Centre is home to many groups, including the Network Group for adults with severe learning and physical difficulties and the Phoenix Players. Also based there are The Deadwater Valley Trust, the Phoenix Children's Drama Group, the Phoenix Youth Theatre, Kids' Arts and HCC's Communication Node. Several groups use and commission the Phoenix Centre for workshops, as well as the BHA running an extensive small-scale professional theatre programme and three amateur productions a year. The Phoenix said that EHDC would gain from any funding award as the Phoenix will be able to bring affordable arts activities to the district, which would help to improve people's lives, particularly those who may be vulnerable, or who have disabilities. It also would particularly benefit children and older people. The cabinet also heard that: "The Phoenix would be able to strengthen the use of community facilities, both at the Phoenix Arts Centre and with outreach work in other community buildings. "The Phoenix can play a major part in the Bordon and Whitehill Opportunity and Town Partnership Group creating leisure and employment facilities within the area," Adding weight to BHA's cause on Wednesday, community project worker Liz Panton concluded: "The Phoenix Centre in Bordon is the only purpose-built arts centre in the north of the district, Merchistoun Hall, being in the south. "EHDC values the services BHA offers the district. It is recommended that an award of £5,000 be made to the association." Local councillors were very happy with the award, none more so than Don Mayes who represents Bordon at district level. He added: "I'm very pleased to see the district council has recognised a worthwhile cause, which is very active in the community. "The Phoenix Centre offers a wide programme of activities especially for persons with learning difficulties, so it more than deserves this award."
