FINAL PHASE FOR CONSTANTINE'S NEW TOLMEN CENTRE

The last phase of work on transforming Constantine's former Methodist Chapel should be completed in the spring – aided by European funding approved through the Objective One Programme.

The project to convert the chapel's vestry and add a small extension is the second phase of a major conversion project that has seen the redundant chapel turned into a new community facility – known as the Tolmen Centre.

The first phase of converting the Grade II Listed building was carried out with the help of £200,000 of funding from the Millennium Commission, the South West of England Regional Development Agency (RDA) and many others.

The second phase of the Tolmen Centre has been approved with a grant of nearly £35,500 from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The funding will include the provision of disabled toilets and space for Information Communications Technology (ICT) training courses run by the Falmouth & Helston Adult Education Service. An additional nearly £18,000 is also being provided by the RDA towards the £70,688 cost of phase two.

Liz Moore from the company set up to develop various parish projects, including the Tolmen Centre said: "This is a really amazing building and an extremely valuable resource for the whole community. The first phase has provided us with a community theatre with a 180-seat auditorium.

"This second phase will expand the training that we can do here and, by providing further toilet facilities, enable us to provide other activities at the same time that the play scheme and out-of-school-hours childcare are going on."

Carleen Kelemen, Director of the Partnership Office, welcomed the project. "This community group is playing a valuable role in the Programme by providing adult training facilities with disabled access, that will enable people to develop their strengths and be better placed to get employment."

The final stages of building work on the Tolmen Centre should be completed by early spring 2003.