The original community
centre stood at what was then the Commercial Road, Twyford
Avenue and Stamshaw road junction. Baltic house now
stands very near to the actual spot. The ministry of
works erected the building with funds provided by, The
British Society of America. It is believed this was
arranged through the American forces based here at the
time. So on the 22nd July 1946 the American consul General
William H Beck esq. Opened the Community Centre.
When Portsmouth City
Council decided to literally knock Buckland to the ground
in the 70's to rebuild the area with council housing.
The present building was erected, it was officially
opened 5th December 1973.
When the government
of the day decided to try and centralise local government,
the building moved from Portsmouth City Council to Hampshire
County Council. In the late 90's when Portsmouth became
a unitary authority came the building was returned to
Portsmouth City Council. At the time the two councils
had very different methods of running community centres
and consequently over a period of years the centre has
gone through some radical upheavals.
It is amazing that
from the opening on the 22nd July 1946 to 1997, a total
of 51 years the centre had only one warden (now called
manager) Mr Cyril Winsor. From reports the centre owes
Cyril, who is now deceased, a great deal because he
laid the foundations for the present. Two other people
who worked tirelessly for the centre are the late honorary
Alderman Joseph Nye and the late councillor Fred Nicholson.
The centre has
several groups who came from the building still with
us. Amongst these are the Centre Players (a drama group)
and the Portsmouth Aquarist Society.
