MUCH attention and praise has rightly been given to the Tottington Centre community project since volunteers took over the management of the former council library.

Less known, perhaps, but equally worthy of mention is Dumers Lane Community Centre project in Radcliffe.

As a library user and someone who has lived in Dumers Lane for the past 28 years, I was glad to hear from a friend and member of the over-50s club in January that a small group of volunteers were working towards keeping the facility going as a community centre.

But, to be honest, I didn't thin it would actually ever happen.

So, when a letter of invitation from Friends of Dumers Lane Community Centre was dropped through my letter box last week to come and have a look round the place, my daughter and I decided to go.

As we walked in, we were offered a cup of tea and biscuits and were introduced to Nicole Haydock, who seemed to be the leader of the project.

She explained that the friends was a not-for-profit charity and how it had secured a five-year lease with the council and funding through donations and fundraising to get the project off the ground.

The centre's business plan was pinned on a noticeboard and looked realistic and pretty sound.

We were very pleased to see that the character of the former library has been carefully preserved with books ­— including a good section of large-print hardbacks that we could still borrow or exchange.

By upgrading the two rooms on the ground floor, they have also somehow managed to create a welcoming space for new clubs and meetings.

Part of their plan is to relaunch the job club and after-school club and offer a number of classes for education and leisure purposes.

But what we were particularly impressed with was actually how such a small group of volunteers had the foresight to stop the council from selling the property to the highest bidder in the first place and how quickly they went about talking to residents and community groups to seek their views and support.

Following our visit on the Sunday, my daughter and I have now signed up as volunteers to set up a book-borrowing scheme.

We are also keen to help the project in any other way we can.

Judith Bennett

Dumers Lane

Radcliffe