Wareham Tigers practicing in the Hammond School, for now

After the Boys and Girls Club of New Bedford abruptly closed its Wareham branch this spring, the Hammond School was largely closed to the public. 

While the Donovan School has continued to operate out of a section of the building, the rest was shut for months. The town has now terminated the lease to the Boys and Girls Club, at the club’s request, after months of legal limbo. 

Now, the Wareham Tigers have secured a one-year license from the town to use the building for cheer practices. 

The space is a big upgrade for the program’s competition team, which had previously used the gym at the Multiservice Center. That space was shared with the Council on Aging, so each practice was bookended by moving furniture.

Tigers President Jared Chadwick said that his organization is still working with the Bridge Church, Community Youth Empowerment, and Onset Kidz Block on a potential lease of the building.

Town Administrator Derek Sullivan said that the town needs to conduct a thorough review of the building’s needs before determining the long-term plans for its occupancy. 

This story has been updated with the information that the town has terminated the building’s lease to the Boys and Girls Club.