Richard Atkins School held an invite-only event on Tuesday 2 December to celebrate the start of building work on its newly-named learning centre, the Clapham Park Centre.

(above: Building underway at the Clapham Park Centre)

The Centre is estimated to cost £1.8 million to complete: Clapham Park Project donated £1 million to the build and Lambeth Council donated a further £500,000.

The Clapham Park Centre will be available for all members of the community, not just the pupils and parents of Richard Atkins.

The Rt. Hon. Keith Hill MP, Cllr Steve Reed, CPP Chief Executive Angus Johnson and Chair of School Governors Nigel East spoke to the gathered children and parents on the morning of the event.

The overall message was one of hope and future aspirations for the area: all of the speakers lauded the progress made in the area, via Clapham Park Project’s successful community projects and the actual physical regeneration in the Clapham Park area.

(L-R Nigel Eastman RA School Governor, Rt Hon Keith Hill MP, Cllr Steve Reed, CPP Chief Executive Angus Johnson)

Richard Atkins pupil Lauren (pictured, above right) gave a vote of thanks to the Clapham Park Project and Lambeth Council, and then cut a ribbon on behalf of all involved in the project: the stakeholders, fundraisers, and the end users in the community.

The Clapham Park Centre is due to be completed in Summer 2010.