THE BEGGING bowl is being held out to Shaftesbury residents in a bid to double the size of the town's arts centre.

Overwhelming support has been given to the plan to buy the old Strattons building next door in a bid to bring increased space for rehearsing, changing and new rooms for workshops, meetings and a studio.

But locals are being urged to dig deep to help meet the £350,000 building and refurbishment costs.

The acquisition will increase the centre's capacity to 700 square metres, enabling it to be used by the wider community.

The management committee has already secured a £150,000 bank loan, and the rest would either have to be borrowed from elsewhere or raised through local donations.

Centre chairman Myra Wood said: "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and we would be mad not to try and grasp it."

She added: "We desperately need more room to meet our wider community aims and aspirations and the old Strattons building gives us that.

"The centre already has a reputation for being not only one of the best community arts centres in the south west but also one of the most dynamic and successful community groups in the area.

"We are anxious to build on that reputation and make it grow."

Shaftesbury Arts Centre started life as a private member's club in 1952 and is now a charitable company.

Urging residents to support them, Myra added: "Our appeal is now to everyone who has benefited from the arts centre in the past, as well as those who feel it will benefit them in future to make a donation, no matter how small.

"We want to work towards bringing even more fun and laughter into everyone's lives who live, visit and play in Shaftesbury."

  • Donations can be sent to Stephen McDadd, honorary secretary, at Shaftesbury Arts Centre, 13 Bell Street, Shaftesbury SP7 8AR.