About Eastfield Community Centre
In the beginning
In the beginning it was the Eastfield Tenants Association that got their heads together to do something of benefit for the Eastfield community. They met once a month for business and in-between times and they would do day trip bus runs and bingo sessions. The venue mostly used at that time was the Eastfield Resource Centre, in the early 1980’s. There were probably not a few involved in the organisation of the association; some of which were significant figures; but of these that led the way forward was Tom Lockhart, Guy Steele and Sinclair McBride. Now, they felt that there was a desperate need for them to obtain their own hall as there was so much that could be done for the community if only they had a facility to fulfil their dream. Eastfield was under Glasgow District Council at that time, so they approached Glasgow City Chambers with their proposal and were introduced to Cathy Arthur in league with the Glasgow Council Voluntary Service, who would guide and advise them through the process of leasing the land and the placing of two portacabins initially on the site to begin the work.
The portacabins
The portacabins were bought for £1 each and were delivered by the contractor Flemings. However, the actual hall built was ready for use in 1983 and from there it began to thrive and for some it was the start of a new way of life as the new Eastfield Community Centre became the hub of the community. The vision was realised.
1988 Renovations
We have to add here that, during the major renovations that took place in Cambuslang around 1988, that the hall became a sanctuary for those who had endured the hardship of not having a working kitchen at home and having no heating and people flocked to the centre where whole families were welcomed with hot drinks and sandwiches.
Chromium waste
But then it was discovered that there was a problem with the building as the first hall was built upon a site contaminated by chromium waste. Consequently, the previous building was therefore replaced by the new building a stone throw away south from the former one. Therefore, the building that we now occupy was officially declared opened by Susan Baird the Lady Provost of Glasgow in 1991.
Co-ordinator Betty Mitchell
Its Board of Trustees at that time around the transition from one building to the other, included people such as Douglas Cousins and Rev. Cubie of Trinity Church. The Board employed a Co-ordinator called Betty Mitchell who was excellent at spotting opportunities and gaps in the activities that could be filled by other groups and she kept the books up to scratch. Betty also had a talent for getting the funding needed to finance programmes that otherwise would never have been realised.
Call the fire brigade
Also a regular feature in bringing people together was the involvement of the police and fire brigade in a community role. They were very accommodating in those days, because one year the fire brigade agreed to fill a huge pool to assist in some water sports games for the centre for their event held in Trinity High School. Counsellor Surgeries were monthly, and the Housing Surgery seemed to attract a lot of traffic every Tuesday. As well, Eastfield Community Centre was and still is used for the General Elections when they come round.
South Lanarkshire Council - the new Landlords
In 1997, the hall lease changed hands to South Lanarkshire Council under the Eastfield Community Centre Association Chaired by Ina Millett, Vice Chair Bill Brown and Secretary Grace Brown, paying £1 per month in advance as “Tenants” to their “Landlords”. Kids days out and bus trips took place at fairly regular intervals with Tam Monk and others in the pool of drivers as the vehicle required a PSV Licence. The many clubs and groups that the Eastfield Community Centre accommodated in the past and presently is phenomenal, encompassing lunch clubs, carpet bowling, boxing, mothers and toddlers playgroups, the BBF church group, an angling club, the Jive-beat. On top of that, the hall was proud to grant a let to the Eastfield United Football Club which was their very first function hosted at the hall. There were also affiliation links with the Senior Citizen Forum in Glasgow.
"Surprise Surprise!"
Eastfield Community Centre featured on the TV show “Surprise Surprise” where stars from “Strickley Come Dancing” dropped into make a guest appearance at a birthday party, honouring a member of the Sequence Dancing group.
24th March 2020 lockdown
Following the First Minister’s televised address, and a meeting of the UK Government's Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms (COBR) committee, the first ‘lockdown’ in Scotland commenced. This was a devastating blow to the community at Eastfield and of course other community centres and communities placed in the same position. The first group to return after the COVID restrictions were put in place was the church group and they adhered to the COVID guidelines having all the necessary safeguards in place to prevent infections. This created an opportunity for the Eastfield Committee to get procedures in place for other hall users, so that they too might return a few months later.
Above and beyond the call of duty
Despite the obvious difficulties of the need to close, the Committee members demonstrated a high level of commitment above and beyond their “call of duty” as volunteers, helping other groups in getting the centre reopened; meeting at the ‘drop of a hat’ at times (even meeting in the grounds of the centre) to discuss what needs to be done to get things running again and patching in solutions on occasion. What emerged from this was a pleasure to behold; as it proved that they could again work together as a community and that also, they witnessed the collective concern of those involved in rebooting the centre, so that other groups would be empowered to restart also.
A committed team, for a committed community
The centre is now being used extensively and they can say proudly that they are open for business. The current committee is again a new and committed team, having a heart for the community, that come together not just for the benefit of their own interests, but to serve the people in the area and in addition to this, due to the extreme circumstances endured by the population, they continue to help the community recover from the disruption caused by the pandemic situation. The Eastfield Community Centre proved resilient to the challenges that the COVID restrictions imposed and have revived the community in making the provision for reinstatements such as Sequence Dancing, the Richmond Fellowship, Shine Dancers, Dancercise for all ages, Kookie Music, the BBF church group and Enable.
New groups
New groups such as the “Chatty Crafters and Gabby Gardeners” (same group) it has attracted a lot of funding for the centre to help improve the grounds, benefiting its appearance and provide garden beds for the use of other hall users to tend, growing their own vegetables and flowers. Many of the members view the centre as a lifeline as it met their need, lifting them out of isolation where they could forge new relationships with others that will last forever; and most of all getting involved with people again. Other groups and organisations benefiting from the hall are Weight Watchers, the Citizens Advice Bureau, the Breastfeeding Support Group and Cocaine Anonymous.
Christmas fayres
The Christmas Fayres of 2022 and 2023 were a great success bringing literally hundreds of people through the doors enjoying the buzz of the atmosphere, wandering around and buying from the stalls, tea, biscuits, Santa and a social gathering; the streets littered with cars. A big bonus for the hall has been that throughout the years it has been blessed to have excellent Council staff overseeing the project, ensuring the smooth running of the lets, maintaining the building and décor and of presenting a friendly face to prospective lets when they enquire, it was fortunate that the centre had this head start getting things operational again, as the beginning of 2024 brought with it the harbinger that all was not well with the council and that cuts would have to be made due to an apparent shortfall in funds for Culture and Leisure. Many of the community facilities were under threat of closure and subsequently some have closed their doors for good.
Looking forward
Again, the Eastfield Community Centre Management team responded positively, realising what was at stake for the community if they were to lose this much appreciated and used facility, and so decided unanimously to apply for a Community Asset Transfer which is in progress at the moment. Surveys have been handed out and in, the media have been contacted on many platforms, councillor’s and MSP’s are being lobbied for the cause, members and potential board members are being recruited and the business plan is in the making. This is only a brief history of the Eastfield Community Centre’s position in the community as so much more can be said by the people who founded it and those who have taken it for granted that the halls were just part of their lives. Hopefully, the centre will have a bright future and continue to serve the community for many generations to come