A COMMUNITY Centre manager being made redundant said she is proud to walk away knowing the centre will carry on being run by hard-working volunteers.

Jane Weale, who is the manager of the mainly volunteer-run Gaer Community Centre, has been in the post for the last ten years.

She is leaving her post at the end of this week, having been made redundant after funding ran out along with volunteers manager Giselle Mansfield-Robinson, who has already left.

Funding for the centre originally came from the Welsh Assembly for three years and was then provided by a grant from The Big Lottery Fund.

The Big Lottery Fund provide UK groups and communities with grants from £300 to more than £5,000.

However, the grant for Gaer Community Centre only lasted for three years and extra funding could not be secured.

The community centre will not shut but will carry on being run by volunteers, which Ms Weale said was the main aim in the first place.

She said: “The community are running their own community centre.

“Overall the volunteers are determined to keep it going and keep it running.

“It’s a proud moment for me to walk away and say they don’t need me anymore.”

Ms Weale also said that even though she is sad to leave, she is proud to have worked at the centre for so many years.

She said: “To have ten and a half years in one post is quite rare.

“Giselle and I were well aware this situation could arise after taking these jobs.

“It is sad to go, but I am not going to turn around and say oh that’s awful, because that is the name of the game. It isn’t forever.”

Gaer Community Centre has already had volunteers running certain parts of the centre, but it will now be entirely run by the community.

A Big Lottery Fund spokesman said: “In June 2013 the Big Lottery Fund awarded a grant of £174,762 for three years through its People and Places programme to Gaer Community Centre.

“The funding was for a fixed-term centre manager and fixed-term part-time volunteer coordinator to develop and manage new and existing activities at the community centre as well as volunteer expenses, training, marketing and IT equipment for the project.

“Gaer Community Centre is able to reapply for funding through our People and Places programme which enables people to work together for strong communities, social justice, and better rural and urban environments in Wales, they can also apply to our Awards for All programme.”