Protest set over Pill Millennium Centre closure (From South Wales Argus)

Protest set over Pill Millennium Centre closure

11:20am Monday 7th January 2013 in News

A PROTEST over the closure of an inner-city community centre is to take place today.

The Argus reported at the weekend that the Pill Millennium Centre – visited by Prince Charles in 2011 – has shut after it ran out of funds.

Now Pill residents and people who used the centre are to join together at 4pm to protest over the closure.

It’s thought that as many as 100 people could attend.

Bernard Sefton, vice-chairman of the Pill Millennium Trust, said people have been knocking on his door and crossing the street since the news broke in the Argus on Saturday.

“Everyone is 100 per cent behind keeping the centre open,” he said.

“People are absolutely shocked. They have all been aware that we have struggled financially with all the cut backs we have had, but we have endeavoured to be open.”

Newport council funding for the Pill Mill was withdrawn in April last year.

Pill Labour councillor Ron Jones said he’d warned the centre would struggle to survive without subsidy, but the council said the centre was always meant to become self-financing.