Wickford Community Centre

Irene Gant, Committee Member of the Community Centre for many years.  Now aged 87 she talks about the ‘birth’ of the Community Hall. 

Interview by Jim Reeve.

Irene was born in Leytonstone, and, like many people at that time, came to Wickford in 1953 for a better life, which included buying a bungalow. She had two children, a boy and a girl, who went to Market Road School.  Her husband worked for British Rail as a carpenter at the railway’s large marshalling yard at Temple Mills, Stratford.  Each day he travelled up to work by train from Wickford Station. 

Being the type of person who likes to get involved Irene was soon on the committee at her children’s school, raising money for various projects, including a swimming pool.  She soon became aware that there was no community hall in Wickford and the only place people could meet was the church hall.  She heard that a committee had been set up to raise funds to build the community hall, so she and her friend decided to join.  As a member of the committee she went round to people’s homes and collected money by the unique way of people purchasing a brick for 6d.  The committee also ran jumble sales and any means to raise the necessary monies to build the hall. Finally they reached the target of £6,000 and Basildon Council generously matched that amount and they were able to start building.  It was a proud moment for Irene and the committee when the hall finally opened in 1963. 

Having built the hall the committee then had to find organisations to fill it each night, but it did not take long and soon the committee, with Irene’s help, had every night filled except Wednesday.  The week commenced on Monday with the swirl of dresses in ballroom dancing, went on to the clash of fencing foils, the click of cameras at the camera club, the roar of engines at the motor club, the ringing of the clock in chests, ending with the tranquillity of the wine circle.

Irene remained serving on the committee for many years and it came as a shock to the others when she decided to move to Frinton, where she stayed for thirty years until recently, when her husband sadly died.  Now she is back and is delighted to see that the community hall she helped build is flourishing