COWDENBEATH'S new community centre was officially opened on Friday and it was a proud day for the relatives of Mary and Alex Maxwell, whom the £2.8m facility was named after.

Mary and Alex were described by chair of Cowdenbeath Area Committee, Councillor Linda Erskine, as 'true community stalwarts', and her colleague, Councillor Judy Hamilton, the chair of Fife Council's Community and Housing Services Committee, called the duo 'Cowdenbeath Heroes'.

The family was represented by sons Neil and Gordon Maxwell, and grand-daughter Melissa, and they were proud to hear the praise handed out about these community champions.

Also present was Provost of Fife, Jim Leishman, and people who had been involved in the creation of the idea of the project, and members of local community groups.

Said Councillor Erskine: "This is a really special occasion and I welcome Neil, Gordon and Melissa.

"To say that Mary and Alex Maxwell were true community stalwarts is an understatement. Alex was a councillor many times on different bodies, ranging from Cowdenbeath Town Council to Fife Council; he was a football coach running boys teams, a community councillor and someone who was all about things Cowdenbeath.

"Alex was never afraid to challenge anyone and was always ready for a debate in the council chamber."

Councillor Erskine added: "Mary was the winner of Fife Constabulary's Unsung Hero Award and she was always ready to take on a task.

"Mary was secretary of the Cowdenbeath Civic Week Committee over three decades and Citizen of the Year 12 years ago and like Alex she was always ready to take on any task.

"Every year she worked away in the background ensuring Civic Week and the town's gala day was a big success.

"When the Area Committee was asked to find a name for the new facility it had to be The Maxwell Centre."

Councillor Hamilton said: "This day gives me the utmost pleasure to see Cowdenbeath's new community centre officially opened and named the Maxwell Centre.

"As the old Broad Street Centre started to come to the end of its life a new one was needed for the town.

"The former Area Social Work Office was here in Stenhouse Street, but it too had come to the end of its use in that role and it was felt that the site was ideally suited for a community facility.

"Work began to source funding and and it soon started to become a big project.

"Bit by bit the package started to come together for the £2.8m project and work started to create the Maxwell Centre out of the former social work office.

"We soon saw a magnificent multi purpose building being created and it is excellent to be able to call it the Maxwell Centre.

"I came across Alex when I joined the council and he said to me always 'remember your constituents'.

"He was a man who was always full of wise counsel and underlined that you are there to represent your constituents.

"Mary, indeed, was a true community stalwart and it is very fitting that this excellent new facility is named after them for they were Cowdenbeath Heroes."

In a comprehensive vote of thanks after the the unveiling of the naming plaque, Linda Erskine thanked the many individuals and organisations who worked hard to make the project happen and also Danny and Vicky Kinloch, who had fought to make the Broad Street Centre the success it was over four decades.

FRIDAY was the end of a long road for people who have wanted to see Cowdenbeath with a new community centre.

But the thing is that amid the delight at the official opening of the Maxwell Centre, the role that Broad Street Centre played in providing a community facility in the town could not be forgotten.

It was way back in the 1970s that then Community Worker Kenny Aitken felt that a town of 10,000 people could not be left without a proper base for activities.

The demolition of the former Mining School, in Broad Street, saw a chance created for something to fill the void and the former gym area and offices was turned into something Kenny hoped would be a stop gap for a few years.

Through his hard work, and that of a host of excellent volunteers under longtime chair of the Broad Street Centre management committee, Danny Kinloch, it filled the gap for forty years!

The official opening ceremony of the Maxwell Centre would have been something Kenny would have savoured but alas his recent death made that impossible.

However, the day was a huge success with piper John McCurley, a senior youth worker, welcoming the visitors.

It was a day which saw guests given a tour of the Maxwell Centre's extensive facilities.

During that they were able to see a cooking demonstration by young people from the 16 + Activity Agreement.

The kitchen is superbly laid out and is used by users of the facility from all age groups.

The Youth Room was also available for a display of youth activities that go on weekly at the centre and also an information item.

Meanwhile in the Community Hall and Community Kitchen they were able to see the Happy Days Group have their weekly meeting.

It is a singing and social activity group which sees between 40 and 80 people enjoy an excellent social afternoon.

This was one of the groups which grew to become a feature of the programme at Broad Street.

Also in the Learning Suite there was the opportunity to 'taste what is on offer weekly at the Maxwell Centre'.

The Centre has a full band of local community organisations using the facilities which are designed on a multi purpose theme with the Community Hall able to be used for all sorts of events.