00:00Penny Lane is more than just a road sign, it's a place steeped in musical history.
00:05And for more than two decades, the Penny Lane Community Trust has been at the heart of that welcome,
00:10opening its community centre and Beatles' visitor space in a building decorated with murals, memorabilia
00:16and even a yellow submarine donated by the Cavern Club.
00:20However, in a social media post, Julie Gournell, the Trust's senior charity officer,
00:25said the building would close for the final time on the 31st of December.
00:30She wrote how the charity had faced increased utility costs and reduced footfall,
00:35which placed a huge toll on already limited resources.
00:39She went on to explain that the building also needs upgrades the charity can no longer afford.
00:44The Trust began in 2003 to help protect nearby fields from development later,
00:48bringing almost a million pounds of regeneration on funding to what Miss Gournell calls the world's most famous lane.
00:55She says the centre's welcomed visitors from as far away as Angola and Bermuda,
01:00and that its classes have helped create lasting friendships within the local community.
01:05But in her words, the Trust must now face the reality and be responsible as it enters what she described as its lean months.
01:13She said, it breaks my heart to make the announcement, adding that all good things come to an end.
01:18Local councillor Richard Kemp, a former Lord Mayor of Liverpool, says he believes the building should continue to serve the community.
01:27He said he hopes it can become a first-class facility, a build on the area's Beatles heritage,
01:32and helps young people develop musical skills.
01:36For now, the Trust has begun the process of winding down with supporters hopeful its legacy will remain part of Penny Lane's story.
01:44For now, the Trust has begun the process of winding down with the Trust and the Trust has begun the process of winding down with the Trust and the Trust.
