A community café has been given the go-ahead to help enhance Leavesden County Park.

Bikers, sportspeople, walkers and busy parents will be able to relax with a drink and snack following the successful Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) application in December.

YMCA and Three Rivers District Council are working together to create extra facilities that will benefit park users.

This will include replacing the derelict building on the YMCA site at Abbots Langley, Leavesden Country Park, with a new community café and community room.

The café will serve a selection of hot and cold refreshments and will provide an inviting place for dog walkers and other park users to stop and refuel.

YMCA chief executive, Guy Foxell, said: “This café building has been a long time in the planning and it is great to take this step towards creating the facility that local people have asked for.”

Three Rivers Councillor Chris Lloyd, Lead Member for Leisure said; “Following all the other improvements that have been made in Leavesden Country Park, I welcome the addition of the cafe and community room as they will be used by various groups and individuals who visit the park.”

The work is being funded by YMCA and Three Rivers. The works on the building will start in late January and take approximately 20 weeks to complete. The nursery, gym and all other activities will remain open as usual with temporary access routes while the new facilities are completed.

The project extends YMCA’s partnership with Three Rivers, which will be installing a Heritage Wildlife Centre on the site as well as part of the successful Heritage Lottery Fund for Leavesden Country Park.

To find out more, visit: http://oneymca.org/what-we-do/community-hubs/woodlands-community-building-and-cafe/