Pippins Community Centre in Axminster is today launching a crowdfunding appeal and is urging the people of Axminster to "dig deep" to help them continue their much-admired work in the town.

Pippins is a registered charity but will soon become a Community Interest Organisation (CIO).

All proceeds generated from hiring out their rooms are reinvested back into the centre and to support a number of initiatives that serve the people Axminster and beyond.

During the COVID-19 lockdown period, they provided food support to 200 people connected to their work at Pippins, from the end of March until August. They have been extremely proud to have worked closely with Axminster Foodbank, ACER, Nourish, Exeter Food Action and FareShares South West in Bristol.

Pippins was 'born' as a dedicated community centre in 2016, and has come a long way since, growing its usage from just two community user groups to the 40-plus initiatives that are now based out of the centre, each doing valuable work in the community.

Here's just a small sample of some of the initiatives Pippins house or support:

• Community Café to help combat loneliness and isolation in the community
• Nourish – a community initiative set up to provide access to nourishing food when support is needed
• Job Club – a completely free service to help local jobseekers including Citizens Advice and East Devon Benefits Service
• Together Devon - The Hub Drug & Alcohol recovery service
• Two baby and toddler groups
• Headlight Mental Health Services for young people
• Adult learning opportunities – Learn Devon mathematics and Conversational English lessons
• United Response cookery sessions - supporting people with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, autism and mental health support needs
• Axminster Memory Café – supporting individuals with dementia, and their carers
• Axminster New Youth Club for children and teens aged 11+
• Axminster Home Educators
• Singing Matters singing group – singing for wellbeing
• Axminster Methodist Church congregation
• The LIFE Community Christian community

Hoping to raise £10,000

The crowdfunding appeal is hoping to raise £10,000 by October 25th and if they raise a minimum 25 per cent of the £10,000 target (£2,500), they are hopeful that the campaign will be considered for match funding from East Devon District Council's #crowdfunddevon project, meaning that the amount raised could be matched with additional funds from the council.

Launching the crowdfunding appeal on social media today, a spokesperson said: "We've been lucky to recently secure the Pippins building as our own permanent home, but as one of Axminster's most prominent grade 11 listed Georgian buildings there's lots to do to keep it watertight, windproof, safe and welcoming.

"Pippins is in desperate need of a full exterior and interior re-paint, with additional mending and repairs (including our many beautiful sash windows) along the way.

"Funds are needed to foot the cost of painting, scaffolding and essential works so that we can secure our building not just for the winter ahead, but for the future too, to safeguard our vital community facility for years to come.

"Our first crowdfunding campaign focusses on the exterior painting project – with potential to extend to repairs to our windows, fascias, guttering and some interior areas if we hit our target."

You can support the crowdfunding appeal by clicking here.

• The Axminster Heritage Centre website reveals that the building occupied by Pippins was built in about 1710 for Henry Knight, an attorney and Steward to the Petre Estate. His family was still living at Terrace Lodge in 1889, when William Henry Barnes Knight was the owner.

There are gaps in the record, but in 1910 Alexander John Henry Knight was living there. In 1914 the resident was Piers Tempest, followed in 1923 by Mrs Talbot. From at least 1926 to 1935 it was the home of Allen Lepard Crockford. The name was later changed to 'Pippins', and after being used for some years as a school.

Andrew Moulding, an expert on all things Axminster, writes: "In the 1950s Pippins was a prep school for boys and girls, where I believe the girls would eventually move on to Shute School for girls. I'm not sure where the boys went? Former mayor Graham Godbeer was a student of Pippins School in the 1950s.

 

"In the 1960s, I believe a pre-school play-group operated from Pippins, run by Josie Parkinson.

 

"In the 1970s to 1990ss (or thereabouts) it was a regular youth club, run by Peter Lacey, who was also very much involved in the Axe Vale Canoe Club. Canoes were often stored at Pippins. The youth club was later run by others, including Yvonne Taylor and Liz Anning for many years.

 

"During Peter Lacey's time, Bill Knapman, with assistance from the Rotary Club of Axminster, ran the Gateway Club at Pippins for young people with a range of disabilities.

 

"In more recent years Debbie Humberstone ran 'The Project' from Pippins for young people with trauma. This has now become 'Headlight'.

 

"Axminster Churches Together – plus many others, especially Kay d'Albertansan - have done a fantastic job there."