Central team gives £5,000 cash boost to Friar Park Millenium Centre
04 March 2024

A community centre in Sandwell has secured a £5,000 donation from our Central team, helping them to expand their services in and around the area.
Friar Park Millenium Centre received the funding boost as part of our Community Champions initiative. The centre’s employees and volunteers work to benefit the people of the Friar Park neighbourhood, the town of Wednesbury and the wider area of Sandwell - ensuring that the space is a welcoming, accessible, and safe environment for everyone in the community.
With the wider neighbourhood welcoming new people to the area as part of new developments, the centre will be undergoing an extension to enable the facility to be used by a wider range of people. Funding has been secured as part of the Wednesbury Levelling Up Partnership and design works are progressing. Public Consultation is expected later in the Spring prior to works starting later in the year. Our funding will go towards providing new furniture for the space when the extension is complete. The donation was marked by a visit to Friar Park Millenium Centre by Cllr Peter Hughes from Sandwell Council.
Cllr Peter Hughes, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and WMCA and Wednesbury North Councillor, said “Over the next 10 years, 750 new homes are anticipated in Friar Park through schemes like the one proposed by Persimmon, and development of the Council’s adjacent Friar Park site. The Millennium Centre will continue to act as a hub for the community as it expands and will be central to ensuring community cohesion occurs.
“We recognise the need to expand the centre, and proposals are progressing with support from the Wednesbury Levelling Up Partnership and we will be releasing details on these in the Spring. We are delighted that Persimmon also recognise the critical role the Millennium Centre will have in the expanded community, and the commitment they have made at this early stage to ensuring provision of furniture once the expanded centre becomes operational.”
Julie Jones, Chief Executive Officer at Friar Park Millenium Centre, commented “A big thank you to Persimmon Homes for this donation, we are so grateful for your generous donation to helps us to continue with the important work we do for the community.”
Neil Williams, Managing Director at Persimmon Homes Central, added “What we do is about much more than just building homes, it’s about leaving a lasting impact in the communities that we build in. We’re always delighted to lend a hand to local community groups to boost their ongoing initiatives or contribute to causes that mean a lot to them.”
“It’s an honour to be able to offer this £5,000 donation to Friar Park Millenium Centre, helping them to furnish their new space upon completion. We hope the donation will help to create a welcoming facility for the people of Wednesbury and those in the Sandwell area more generally.”