EFFORTS to raise the money to build a multi-million pound arts and community space in Ringwood have taken a giant leap forward with the appointment of a professional fundraiser.

The group behind the project to build a new Ringwood Arts Centre has appointed Carly Redwood as director of fundraising.

She is now tasked with helping to raise the £7million needed to get the centre built and up and running.

Project committee chairman Mike Osborne said: "Planning permission has already been granted for the Ringwood Arts Centre which will feature a 290-seat cinema and theatre as well as sports, meeting and exhibition space.

"All we need to do now is raise the money and Carly’s appointment is a huge leap forward in helping realise the possibility of finally gaining a large community space for Ringwood.”

Carly, who has grown up in the town, has wide experience in the field of fundraising.

She has worked behind the scenes at the Big Issue in Dorset and Hampshire, and more recently with the Gurkha Welfare Trust helping to raise millions of pounds for their work in Nepal, including their response to the two Earthquakes in 2015.

She’s not in the slightest bit fazed about the prospect of raising £7m for the Ringwood Arts Centre.

“I wouldn’t have taken on the job if I didn’t think we could do it,” she said.

“The Arts Centre will be such an exciting asset for the town and once our programme of fundraising activities gets into full swing I just know the people of Ringwood will get behind it.”

To find out more about the Ringwood Arts Centre go to ringwoodartscentre.com.

And to keep abreast of the latest news on how things are going subscribe to the centre’s email newsletter via the website.