A NEW community centre in West Ealing was officially opened by Clarion Housing and Ealing Council on Friday (18). 

It sits at the heart of the Sherwood Close regeneration project involving Clarion, the UK’s largest housing association, and the council. 

 The work is transforming a former 1970s estate into a green neighbourhood of high-quality new homes.

The development is now in its third and final phase, and will ultimately have 362 new homes, with two thirds being affordable.

Named after the late Colin Bryant, who lived at Sherwood Close for more than a decade and was instrumental in helping to shape plans for regeneration, the new centre is in Holbeck Road.

It will be managed by Nucleus Community Action, a not-for-profit advice and guidance organisation, in partnership with Clarion Futures, the housing group’s charitable foundation.   

 The team at Nucleus will be working closely with neighbours to put on a range of activities at the centre.

Clarion will continue to fund local groups through the West Ealing Community Grants Programme, established in 2021.

Cllr Peter Mason, leader of Ealing Council, who cut the ribbon at Friday’s opening, said: “We have been working for well over a decade to fulfil our ambition to renew Sherwood Close and build genuinely affordable homes.” 

Deirdre Costigan, Ealing-Southall MP, who was alongside him at the opening, said: “The centre here will be the heart of the community and provide services and guidance to those living here.”