The centre runs more than 50 groups and classes, ranging from creative arts and performance workshops to fitness and wellbeing sessions. It also hosts professional theatre performances and family-friendly events, and is home to the Horbury District Men’s Shed, a community workshop space designed to bring people together through practical activity, shared skills, and good conversation. Cate Withers, the centre’s manager, talks about its role in the community and being a Red Ladder Local venue.

Can you tell us a bit about the Cluntergate Centre?

The Cluntergate Centre is run by Horbury Community Centre Trust, a charity established by a group of local residents in response to the council’s plans to close the town’s community centre. We are a traditional community centre, providing space for local groups and classes to meet along with local organisations, like Horbury Civic Society and Horbury WI, and national charities such as the Alzheimer’s Society. But we also run our own projects.

 

“There’s something for everyone here, which is why we get a huge number of people through the doors”

 

Tell us about some of the work the Cluntergate Centre does?

We run and curate a well-rounded programme so there’s something for everyone. We have groups and classes every weekday and on Saturdays, during the day and on evenings, so everything from dementia sessions to yoga classes, pole dancing and belly dancing, and all kinds of craft activities. You name it we’ve got it!

A few years ago we looked at what gaps there were in the community and responded by setting up a ‘Stay and Play’ group, because there was a lack of low cost or free provision for pre-school children in Horbury.  That group has been running for a couple of years now and attracts approximately 20 children each week. The other area where there was a shortfall was provision for men, so we set up a ‘Horbury District Men’s Shed’ in October last year.

We also host a lot of arts and culture events. We have stand-up comedy nights every couple of months and theatre shows from various production companies including Red Ladder and Mikron. One of the founding aims was to make the arts more accessible.

How important is the centre to the local community?

It’s massively important. Our footfall in 2024 was 55,000. It’s not just the regular classes we have, we’re also busy every weekend with private bookings including family parties. There’s something for everyone here which is why we get a huge number of people through the doors.

We get people of all ages here and it is predominantly local people. We exist to serve the local community in Horbury and South Ossett, but we do get people from further afield. We’re very popular with South Asian communities, particularly family events and weddings, and many of these are from the Dewsbury and Wakefield area.

Tell us about the Horbury District Men’s Shed project.

This was two years in the making. It was identified as a need by members of the local community, we’d get phone calls from people saying things like ‘my grandma has just died and I’m worried about my granddad becoming isolated.’ So we realised there was a need to have something where men could come and learn new skills or just come in for a cup of tea and a chat, and it’s already having a massive impact. We have around 40 members signed up, and I know this number would be higher if we had more space. The feedback we’re getting is that it gives men something to look forward to and in many cases they’ve made new friends. It’s become a real source of emotional support and mental health wellbeing for them. We’re currently working on securing a larger space from which the Shed can continue to grow and serve the community.

Cluntergate is a lifeline for some people.

On a Friday morning, we have an arts and crafts social drop-in group. A lot of people who come to this have lived experiences of mental health issues. When some people first came here, they came with a support worker when they were in a crisis, and they have gradually become more at ease here. So, we know these sessions can have a profoundly positive mental health impact and create a sense of belonging in the community.

Why is it important the centre has theatre shows and performances?

Theatre feels like a big deal for a lot of people. They have to book tickets, they might be worried about how much it will cost, and often shows are in places like Leeds or Wakefield, so there’s transport costs too and how they will get home afterwards. It becomes a bit of an undertaking for a lot of people. But when it’s here on their doorstep it becomes much easier to engage with theatre because it’s not such a big deal. And the fact we have this link with Red Ladder means we can keep the ticket costs down to £5 or under, which makes it a much more realistic and affordable night out.

The other important thing through our link with Red Ladder is children’s theatre. I think theatre for children is hugely important because a live performance captures their imagination in a way that nothing else does. With the decimation of arts budgets in schools and family budgets being squeezed relentlessly, a lot of children no longer get the opportunity to see shows and engage with live performances in the way previous generations did. So having children’s and family theatre in the centre has been hugely important.

That’s why we set up the ‘Theatre for Schools’ project last year. We found the funding to make it happen and we had 800 children through the building in two days to come and see Story Forge. They came here, saw a professional performance in a familiar place, and it was all free! We asked for a show of hands at the start of every performance. We asked if they had ever been to the theatre before, and about 40 per cent raised a hand. So the majority had never been to see a theatre production before.

Why is it important that Cluntergate keeps going?

This place has a massive impact on our community and provides a huge amount for many people, but we have to continually battle to keep the doors open. We are self-sufficient and the income we make from room hire sustains the operation of the centre. But as with every organisation like ours, the last few years have been tough with utility costs rising sharply, so we must manage our budget very carefully, which is why we are always looking for new funding opportunities and would welcome any donations.

Just £5 per month can fund a session at the Men’s Shed for a man in need of support. You can sign up here: https://www.cluntergate.org.uk/50×5

To find out more about the Centre, go to Home | The Cluntergate Centre