Who we are and what we're doing

About the group ### Aims of the group ### Where we are now ### Who supports a new community centre ### What happens next

About the group

Chapeltown Community Centre Action Group (CCCAG) was formed by local people, as soon as it was known that the centre was being closed by the council. The centre was demolished in 2002 and since then we have worked to establish local needs and priorities and to put pressure on the council to include the community in discussions over the future use of the site. We meet at least monthly and now have more than 280 individuals and groups on the mailing list. Meetings are well-attended by local residents and ward councillors. We have the ongoing support of our local MP - Fabian Hamilton.

Our group is made up of Chapeltown residents - all colours and ages, self-employed, retired, parents, dominoes players, voluntary sector workers, council employees, people born here and people who've moved here - all kinds of people, all with the same aim. We'd love more of you to join in and help make the centre a reality!

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Aims of the group

• To support the ongoing sustainable development of Chapeltown through providing a high quality multi-cultural, multi-generational and proactive community centre.
• For the centre to be a not-for-profit, financially independent Community Interest Company, run by and for the people of Chapeltown.

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Where we are now (January 2007)

• The group is ready for a major fundraising effort, and has identified a range of suitable capital and revenue streams, but is unable to start until given an indication from the council about whether they will support us in our project.
• The skills of the committee are being developed.
• Local networking and partnership building continue.
• We continue to gather views and ideas from the local community
• We continue to offer our views to the development of the proposed Joint Services Centre that is being developed by the LIFT Company.

In February 2006 we made a deputation to a full council meeting, outlining our case and demanding that an investigation was made into the closure of the centre and allocation of land to the LIFT company without any public consultation. The Executive Committee passed this back to the local Area Management Committee, with whom we now seek to work to develop our proposals. Read the deputation text.

In May 2006 we received £5000 from Awards for All (a huge thanks to them!), and are trying to double this so that we can undertake a full consultation process, feasibility study and business plan. However, if we are unsuccessful we will work with what we've got to fund a community design event in late March/early April this year.

The Yorkshire Evening Post did a story about the group, which you can read here: Leeds Today, 30th August 06

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Who supports a new community centre

Schools, local residents and businesses, the voluntary and community sector, clubs and societies, young people, old people, politicians - including all the ward councillors and Fabian Hamilton MP. In short, just about everyone we have contacted and worked with since the closure of the old centre. We have letters of support from hundreds of local residents and expressions of interest from over 30 groups that would like to use the centre when it is opened.

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What happens next

• We had hoped to build the community centre on the site of the Hayfield Pub, however, this is now looking very unlikely. So we have to work out which of our options to follow:
  • We could give up and have a party.
  • We could carry on without council support (which will be very difficult).
  • We could oppose the Joint Service Centre and hope to get the site.
  • We are trying to get council support to develop another site.
  • We could continue trying to get involved with the JSC and get a bit of that site.
  • We could try and work with Leeds Black Elders to jointly develop the library site.
  • We could dramatically scale back our ideas and look at getting a small office or kiosk, which would function to tell people what’s going on in Chapeltown, but it’s not clear where the income would come from for that.
  • The LIFT company will have to pay a significant amount of money into community or greenspace development because of using up so much greenspace for the Joint Service Centre – perhaps we could develop a greenspace trust or see if we can use the money for some other community development.
  • We could see whether our ideas can be fitted into current facilities, which is what the local area management team want us to do.

Next steps:
• Survey 1000 households and as many shops, GPs, takeaways, places of worship & community venues as possible - do people know about current provision? Do people think we need a community centre?
• Use the information from the survey to work out what needs designing and hold community design event - hopefully in late March, early April.
• Work out what kind of community design event is appropriate and affordable - we have £5000 to spend on it

If building a community centre is the best thing for us to do:
• Submit funding application to the Big Lottery's 'Community Buildings Fund'
• Identify project partners to run activities in the centre.
• Final consultations, architectural drawings, decide elements to include in the centre.
• Prepare business plan.
• Develop management structure and convert from voluntary organisation to a Community Interest Company.
• Attract capital funding and agree terms with project partners.
• Build the centre and hold a grand opening celebration

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