STAFF and volunteers at a charity from Times Territory are celebrating today (Tuesday), after the news they have been awarded almost half-a-million pounds to fund two new community centres.

Central Herts YMCA will receive �450,000 from the Big Lottery Fund in order to continue the Space Youth and Community project.

The money will provide two thirds of the funding needed to run programmes and activities for the community for the next three years.

Central Herts YMCA chief executive Robin Webb said: “The money is a phenomenal injection of cash into the borough which will enable the YMCA to run a wide range of activities for people across the community, aged zero to 100.”

Dubbed “the living room on the high street”, Space first opened in Church Road, WGC, in May 2008, and in that time has gone from strength to strength.

Later this year, a second Space will open at Queensway House in Hatfield, with the WGC facility moving to another venue in town, as the long-awaited Sainsbury’s redevelopment gets under way.

Welwyn Hatfield MP Grant Shapps was among the first to congratulate the charity. “This is great news for Hatfield,” Mr Shapps said. “Not only will the ground floor of Queensway House in Hatfield town centre get a much needed regeneration, but the YMCA Space Youth and Community Centre will give young people a fantastic new resource to enjoy locally.

“I’m delighted for the YMCA and congratulate them and Welwyn Hatfield Council for working closely together in order to get a Hatfield version of the already successful YMCA Space in WGC up and running. I can’t wait to visit.”