THE new Maxwell Centre will be ready to open its doors to the public at the end of January.

The £2.8m project, steered to completion by Cowdenbeath Area Committee, will give the town its first purpose built community centre facility.

For over four decades the Broad Street Centre, converted from the former Cowdenbeath Mining School gymnasium, has provided the facility having been expected to fulfil the role for only a few years.

The person who has been given the job of preparing the new facility for use is Community Education Worker, Mike Payne, and he is looking forward to opening the doors to the public week beginning January 29.

The new community centre will bear the name the Maxwell Centre after two legendary Cowdenbeath community stalwarts, Alex and Mary Maxwell.

Said Mike: "The Council's Building Services Team has done a great job in getting the Maxwell Centre ready for opening and over the next few weeks staff will be settling into the spacious surroundings we have here in Stenhouse Street.

"The Broad Street Centre was the most amazing place, considering it was only meant to be a stop gap facility, but the enthusiasm of chairman of the management committee Danny Kinloch and the many volunteers ensured that it provided a vital service which was enjoyed by all parts of the Cowdenbeath community.

"Now we will have a spacious purpose built community centre which will bear the name of two people who played a huge part in the life of the town over many decades, Mary and Alex Maxwell."

The man that was involved in the establishment of the new Benarty and Kelty Community Centres, added: "This new facility is all about maximising energy efficiency with special lighting and heating systems.

"It will allow the Council Community Learning and Development Department to bring together a number of elements under one roof that have had to be spread out around the district in the past.

"But most importantly it will give the Cowdenbeath community a facility that will give them facilities to accommodate all sorts of activities, meetings and events.

"And also we want to hear from the people of the town what sort of different features to the programme they would like to see run at the Maxwell Centre. It is, after all, your community centre." See also Page 4