About the project
What does this community space/venue do?
The Bentinck Miners Welfare in Kirkby-in-Ashfield is a long-standing community hub and registered charity, originally established to serve local mining families. Today it provides a wide range of social, leisure, and recreational opportunities for the community, including live entertainment, bingo and pool nights, children’s play areas, sports facilities, and function rooms for events. With its family-friendly atmosphere and mix of activities, it plays a vital role in keeping local people connected, offering a welcoming space for all ages to meet, take part in events, and celebrate the area’s mining heritage.
What is VIY doing?
VIY will be delivering a large-scale outdoor project, constructing a raised timber music stage complete with a roof, decked flooring, and cladded back and side walls. As part of the works, existing benches will be repurposed into new seating, and damaged wooden play equipment will be repaired and upgraded. These improvements will allow the play area—currently closed due to safety concerns from broken and loose timber—to be safely reopened for children. All timber play equipment will also be repainted to give it a fresh, revitalised finish.
Inside, the lounge area at the Bentinck is dated, with 1980s-style floral carpeting, old décor, and worn wallpaper and bar fittings. VIY will fully transform this space by installing tongue-and-groove panelling, new bar worktops, and a refreshed colour scheme to create a modern, updated look. New flooring will also be installed to complete the renovation.
In the final week, if time allows, work will extend to the toilets, which are similarly outdated and in poor decorative condition. These will be upgraded to align with the modern, refreshed style introduced throughout the rest of the Bentinck.
What will be the impact of our project?
