A COMMUNITY centre is to be built in memory of schoolgirl Karis Darling.

The £220,000 building will be a centre for sports, performing arts and a meeting place for community groups.

It will be called the Karis May Darling Pavilion in memory of the 12-year-old Gable Hall School pupil who died suddenly in April of brain bug streptoccous A.

Due to be built at an unspecified site in Corringham, it will have a dance floor and recording studios with mixing decks.

It is hoped the activities will help keep kids off the streets.

A charitable foundation set up in memory of Karis has raised £14,000 towards the centre.

Karis’s dad, John Darling, 43, of Gardener Avenue, Corringham, said: “The plans are going really well for the community centre.

“Karis would have loved the idea for a community centre and probably would have run a couple of workshops herself.”

Her family decided to donate her heart, liver, pancreas and kidneys to help save the lives of five others, saying it is what she would have wanted.

Mr Darling added: “She aspired to be an actress and singer and also loved sports. We want to have the community centre up and running as a living memory of her.

“We are all still taking it one day at a time, but Karis would have loved the idea of giving something back to the community.”

Mr Darling said the first aim was to open the centre two nights a week and then build it up.

The foundation was set up to offer help to children and teenagers who cannot afford professional training in performing arts and sports.

A variety show is taking place at Karis’s old school in Southend Road, Corringham on Saturday.

There will be 60 singing and dancing acts performing on the main stage during the day.

The stars of the ITV2 hit the Only Way Is Essex including Harry, Amy, sisters Sam and Billie and Joey Essex will be there. Football stars Paul Ince and Eamonn Dolan will be running the sports zone and there will be a disco from 7pm to 8.30pm after the main acts.

John added: “We are expecting more than 1,000 people and we hope we will raise as much as we can for the foundation.

“All the proceeds will go to the charity.”

The variety show will be on from noon until 6pm, followed by the disco. Tickets are £1 each.

For more information e-mail info@karismaydarlingfounda tion.org.uk or log on to www.karismaydarlingfound ation.org.uk