Music Teacher Leads Campaign to Acquire Alfreton’s Polygon Centre

A 28-year-old music teacher, Joe Peall, has successfully gathered over £80,000 in an effort to purchase a former youth centre, aiming to “return it to the community.” Mr. Peall intends to acquire the Polygon Centre in Alfreton, which Derbyshire County Council is selling at auction as part of its cost-cutting measures. The centre has a guide price of £75,000 and is anticipated to be auctioned off in the coming months. Mr. Peall commented on the centre’s significance, stating: “It’s a bit of an icon in the town – lots of people have told me stories about their involvement with that building and the positive impact it had on them.” In contrast, the council has stated that the centre is not a “thriving community hub” and has not been utilized as such for “a number of years.” However, Mr. Peall argued: “The Polygon Centre is a key part of the community, having served as a youth centre for decades. The positive impact this centre has had on thousands of people in Alfreton cannot be disputed. It would be a tragedy to lose it, and we need to act now to keep it in the hands of the people.” Mr. Peall, who moved to Alfreton two years ago from Bedfordshire, explained that he first encountered the centre during a walk and subsequently learned about its history. After discovering it was listed for auction, he resolved to raise funds to buy it and reinstate its use as a community centre. He secured sponsorship to meet the guide price and has crowdfunded more than £5,000 to cover legal and auctioneer fees. Mr. Peall added, expressing readiness: “We’re ready whenever it goes up for auction. We’ve got the funds there, so we can go for it.” He also voiced disappointment regarding the council’s lack of support, saying: “I thought this is something good that could be done… it’s disappointing that the council haven’t been forthcoming in helping out.” A spokesperson for Derbyshire County Council clarified their approach: “We’re reviewing all the buildings and land we own and if we no longer have a need for them we have a duty to consider all the options for their future use. This includes selling them and reinvesting the proceeds into front line services, helping to protect jobs, reducing our financial deficit and keeping council tax as low as possible in future years.” Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.