A YOUTH centre which has been a fixture in Bournemouth for more than half a century is in line for improvements worth £100,000.

The improvements are intended to make the Henry Brown Youth Centre in West Howe accessible to more of the community.

The centre opened in April 1964 and has been at the heart of the community ever since. It cost £57,500 and was named after the mayor responsible for getting the project off the ground.

It is getting a makeover which will involve improving the appearance of the building and replacing the front entrance with separate entrances to the hall and main youth club area.

The internal layout will be changed and the toilet facilities improved.

The intention is for several groups to be able to use the building at the same time, increasing its use by the wider community.

Bournemouth council expects the improvements to need planning permission but hopes work will begin this summer.

Geraint Griffiths, Bournemouth Borough Council’s head of integrated youth services, said: “The Henry Brown is a fantastic asset to West Howe which has been used by generations of young people. With these improvements we hope that we can both increase what is available for young people at the centre and make greater use of the building for the benefit of all the community.”

Last year, the centre held celebrations to mark its first half-century.

The centre was built to cater for the demand from the rapidly growing population of West Howe. Bournemouth’s first large-scale council housing estate had been built on what was previously unused heathland.

Henry Brown did not live to see the opening of the centre he had championed, but the centre quickly flourished as a community focal point attracting hundreds of visitors a week. They enjoyed everything from hairdressing to table-tennis to trampolining, as well as performances by rock and roll groups.

A number of couples who first met there are still together. Many locals recall enjoying dance and club nights there, as well as special occasions such as England’s World Cup victory in 1966.

The centre recently became the venue for Bournemouth’s first community cinema, bringing recent films to audiences mainly of senior citizens who might find it difficult to go into the town centre.