We wanted to improve the facilities of the existing building, increase the flexibility of the building, enhance the performance of the building and its environmental credentials, and encourage greater use of the building by community groups.]]> 2011 South East Zone Action for Market Towns Awards

Social and Community category – Commended

Summary

The aim of the Community Centred (Phoenix Phase Three) project was to redesign and refurbish a dilapidated former 1960s youth club building.

We wanted to improve the facilities of the existing building, increase the flexibility of the building, enhance the performance of the building and its environmental credentials, and encourage greater use of the building by community groups.

Overview

The redevelopment of this dilapidated building was the primary objective of the community-led STARR Initiative Market Town Health Check Action Plan for Sandwich and the four adjoining parishes.

Practically, works had to improve the performance of the building to reduce running costs, enhance its environmental performance and improve the long-term hirability of the building.

Phase Three, the subject of this application, was to develop a single storey extension to the Northeast end of the existing building and re-develop and refurbish the Main Hall area.

The Northeast Annexe accommodates the relocated community kitchen, the one-to-one consultation suite, new
community centre toilets, a storage area. The main entrance was redesigned and the foyer / café area has been extended. The existing main hall will be remodelled, featuring additional insulation, new windows, fire escape, hearing loop and other features.

Environmental considerations are key to the project: we have been guided by the building’s Youth Forum and User Group Panel, who have had constant input. These include:

1. Improve thermal performance: By adding insulation to Main Hall walls, to insulate ‘strammet board’ ceiling using natural (Hemp) materials and plasterboard alternatives.
2. Maximise natural daylight: Install sun tubes, enlarge windows and use reflective materials.
3. Maximise the use of natural ventilation: Fit Jaga Oxygene radiator/ventilator units, fit enlarged trickle vents throughout, install co2 and clean air sensors to ventilation systems.
4. Improve water usage: Install 5000-litre rain water storage system for toilet flushing, install AirFlush waterless urinals, taps are aerated restricted control mixer taps, fit 4 litre flush toilet pans and cisterns.
5. Reduce energy usage: All lights energy efficient units, corridor and toilet lights operate on sensors, primary space heating provided by Air Sourced Heat Pumps, under floor heating with zoned controls and a Combined Heat and Power Unit to generate heat, hot water and electricity to sell back to the grid.
6. Novel features: Incorporates a bio-diverse roof, an energy monitoring system, large volumes of recycled materials, green oak, recycled scaffold poles and much more.

Work began June 2010 and completed October 2010 and new community groups are now using the facility.

Need, purpose and community involvement

Need
This project was highlighted as the primary project from the local Healthcheck process completed in 2006.

It was clear from community consultation in Sandwich and the surrounding villages that we needed a modern, up-to-date community centre, to meet the needs of these communities by providing space for local health services, consultation services, counselling rooms, youth facilities, training space and community halls and rooms.

It was also needed to balance ownership of facilities by providing a venue in Sandwich South.

Aims and Objectives
This phase, Phase Three, of a 10 year project is to refurbish an existing community hall and build a new annexe to provide the facilities outlined above, but in the greenest way possible.

Users groups and community consultees believed the building should be delivered to the highest environmental standard, while creating a usable space.

The Trustees supported this but felt that we had to prove that Environmental Sustainability does go hand in hand with Financial Sustainability.

So technologies were used to increase thermal efficiency, to reduce water usage and wastage, to harvest rain water, to reduce energy bills and generate our energy by being the first to install an EcoGen Mini CHP in Kent, and to create a building that required less day-to-day maintenance.

Community Involvement
From the initial widespread consultation completed by the Healthcheck Team, through to our user group forums we have kept the community involved and informed at every stage of the project.  This was amply demonstrated when we were the first community venue in Kent to achieve Hallmark Three standard.

We are particularly proud of the successful engagement of local teenagers in every aspect of the project – this gives us greater understanding of their needs but also offers them the opportunity to volunteer, learn skills and maybe one day become trustees themselves.

Where next? 
We need to maintain our high standards.  After achieving Hallmark Standards 1,2 & 3, consistently receiving 5 Star rating and been category winners in Loo of the Year Awards for previous phases of the building we now need to maintain these standards in the most recently delivered phase.

Innovation and quality

The entire project is a shop window, a living demonstrator, that enables other community groups to see what can be achieved by committed volunteers and a strong community, with regard to building refurbishment but also helps visitors to the centre to learn about the changes that they can in their own lives to care for the environment and save money too.

We have recycled an entire building. We have delivered a community space that has involved all of the user groups, but especially the community youth forum that meet at the centre, in every aspect of design and delivery. They have attended trade shows, met with architects, visited during construction and have selected cutting edge technologies, novel recycled products and sustainable materials throughout.

The innovation is not just in the building, but in the depth of community involvement, the commitment and passion that comes with being truly Community Centred.

Transferability and learning points

Knowledge and Information Exchange
The entire project but specifically this phase has been developed with transferability in mind.  We are happy to share our experiences and knowledge with any group and host tours of the new facility.

Transferability
It is now easier to seek grants for refurbishment than for demolition and new build.  What we have achieved as volunteers can be replicated in any town or parish with village or community halls of any type.

What we learned
Research the strengths and abilities of your architect thoroughly before you appoint – it is a costly mistake to employ an architect who is out of their depth.  If it is a large project, always appoint a reputable QS and Project Manager, the support and advice they can offer is indispensable.

Volunteers can do it, we found the funds, designed and delivered a £440k refurbishment project to award-winning standard, you can too.

Funding, future financial viability and outcomes

Primary capital funding and short term revenue funding was supplied by the Big Lottery Community Building Programme, with £40k from Kent County Council Community Buildings and Village Hall Fund.

Project total of £440k capital.

We modelled three and five year projections based on existing hires, 6 projected new hires and the loss of 40% of our hires over these periods, all projections showed sufficient income to manage overheads, on-costs and maintenance, to the satisfaction of Big Lottery.

All projections, outcomes and outputs had to be developed to secure Big Lottery funding, these are all available upon request.

Key partners

Big Lottery & Kent County Council (Grant Givers)

This has paved the way for a phased project that includes the relocation of the town's library, joint service delivery and a sensory garden that will bring the building towards a sustainable future.]]> 2011 North Zone Action for Market Towns Awards

Partnership and Strategic Working category – Commended

Summary

The Glendale Gateway Trust has developed this capital project by securing Market Town Welcome funding for a complete re-fit and relocation of the Tourist Information Centre within its community facility.

This has paved the way for a phased project that includes the relocation of the town’s library, joint service delivery and a sensory garden that will bring the building towards a sustainable future.

Overview

This project will enable the re-location of the Tourist Information Centre (TIC) to the ground floor of The Cheviot Centre in Wooler. The move will allow the town to exploit the opportunities presented by better marketing and branding including local retail opportunities and better packaging of local tourism products.

The current TIC scores highly in its annual assessments on ease of finding and is rated in terms of quality, however visitor numbers are relatively low at around 10,000pa while visitor numbers to the Cheviot Centre are 70,000pa. Relocating the TIC to the foyer of the Cheviot Centre will give 70,000 potential customers an immediate interface with TIC staff and their expertise.

The resultant, more accessible service will lead to greater visitor spend, increased revenue and exposure for tourism providers. In turn this will ensure the long term viability of the service and many tourism businesses in the area.

The project has built upon the work done in the Berwick, Seahouses and Alnwick TICs early in 2010 and has made use of existing resources and artwork created through Northumberland and Wooler Market Town branding projects. The refurbishment has given fresh impetus to what was a second tier TIC.

Need, purpose and community involvement

In general the project gives visitors a better understanding of Wooler & Glendale as a destination, what there is to do in and around it, and increases conversion from interest to booking.

Footfall into the Cheviot Centre is approximately 70,000pa with the TIC in its current space; this compares with only 10,000pa footfall into the TIC. With the TIC in the Cheviot Centre foyer there would be much higher footfall into the space, this should in turn lead to an increase in sales and increase the opportunity for casual browsing from people who may not necessarily be looking for TIC services.

The project will also have an impact on the visitor experience as follows:

• Clearer and better presented information and ‘out of hours’ facilities

• Stronger signage and better use of fixtures to locate information easily

• A strong and recognisable brand that gives visitors a visual interpretation of the destination, alongside the opportunity to ‘buy in to’ the experiences being promoted – such as bird-watching, wildlife safaris or guided walks. Information will be available as soon as they enter the centre, which is not currently the case. The existing TIC offer could be described as hidden in the building.

• Greater accessibility and availability – the foyer reception desk means the TIC can be accessible for longer periods during the year as it will be manned at other times by Glendale Gateway Trust (GGT) staff.  On conclusion of the library move, these staff will also man the desk.  Through this arrangement the TIC should be open for information services 7 days a week all year round.

These measures are part of a three phase plan which will enable The Cheviot Centre to sustain itself as a community resource for use by locals and tourists in the long term.

They also mean that at a time of increased pressure on local authority budgets the TIC can continue to offer visitors a high quality experience and service that contributes to long term Market Town Welcome objectives.

Innovation and quality

The Trust has been the instigator of a capital development for a TIC that was not seen as a priority in terms of strategic tourism infrastructure investment. Using a ‘joint delivery of local services’ model has made this project the first phase of a much larger capital investment in the building and will in turn ensure the long term viability of the community centre, the TIC and the library service for a rurally isolated community that heavily relies on tourism as a key part of its economy.

Taking advantage of the work templates that had been previously carried out for Northumberland Tourism and Market Town branding in the area meant that we could keep costs significantly lower than expected.

The staff have played a key part in the design of the space and the re-branding graphics encouraging them to make the best of the space available.

We employed local tradesmen and designers who delivered a very high standard of workmanship throughout. It has been shown that using people who both live and work in the area encourages a much higher level of pride in the work carried out.

Transferability and learning points

As we were led by current branding guidelines, very little was needed in overall branding design which helped to lower costs. Local tradesmen with a flexible work ethic brought the project in on budget, and enabled us to change design plans on a cost basis. Working closely in partnership with statutory authorities has encouraged support for the concept and drawn funds into what would not have been a priority development otherwise.

Funding, future financial viability and outcomes

The project costs were £22,475. This was sourced entirely from Market Town Welcome funding through Northumberland County Council.

Outcomes: increase in numbers of visitors using the TIC, and numbers of local businesses using the TIC to advertise their services.

Key partners

• Northumberland County Council
• Northumberland National Park Authority

What next?

Ask How can we keep our Tourist Information Centre open? in the AMT Forum

The aim of these additional facilities is to get more community members using them and to give the community opportunities to gain new skills and qualifications.]]> 2011 North Zone Action for Market Towns Awards

Social and Community category – Commended

Summary

Egremont Rugby Union Football Club (ERUFC) was established in 1878 and has become over time, through sport and community inclusion, one of the key focal points of the Egremont community.

We currently run two senior teams and several age group teams from Under 8s through to Under 17s (males as well as females). Since opening the new sports facilities in 2008 we have increased this participation, not only in rugby football, but other sports as well.

Following the catastrophic floods of 2009, we have not only rebuilt the club facilities, but have improved them to include a modern training / conference / community room. The aim of these additional facilities is to continue to increase community use and provide opportunities to gain new skills and qualifications, which will better equip young adults for their future working lives.

With the new conference facility, we are aiming to be the conference facility of choice for local businesses, which will provide revenue for the club to expand its activities within the community.

Our mission “To Strengthen the Community through the love of Sport”, is one that we are extremely proud of and one which we hope will benefit the whole of our community.

Overview

Egremont Rugby Union Football Club was devastated by the floods of November 2009 which saw the river Ehen break its banks and cascade through the clubhouse, over the pitch and through the Multi User Games Area. The restoration project was broken down into 3 elements:

1. Restoration of our playing field
Over 3 tonne of river silt and rubble needed to be removed, next came the decontamination of the pitch area, then a new covering of over 150 tonne of sand to ensure all drainage was operational.

2. Restoration of the floodlit Multi User Games Area (this facility was less than 12 months old)
The carpet required lifting as what was left of the surface material was contaminated and had to be removed. We had to clean out the drainage and again decontaminate it. The carpet was then relaid, levelled and new top coat material put on.

3. The restoration of the club house
This was by far the most challenging element of the whole project. The club house had to be completely gutted and dried out before any insurance evaluation could take place, and restoration work begin. The drying out process took 2 months to complete.

During this time, ERUFC saw an opportunity not only to restore the club house but to improve and add new facilities for the benefit of the community, namely disabled access & exit, disabled toilet facility and a purpose built training/conference/community room.

4. Establish our training/conference/community room
With our newly completed facilities in place, we can begin to develop this latest project. Again in conjunction with our partners, we have finalised a business plan which includes full employment for our Sports Development Coordinator/Facility Manager for the next 3 years. To date we have been successful in grant applications for revenue funding to the value of £50,000, which will take us through the first 2 years and we have applied for another £25,000 for a 3rd year (after which we hope to be self funding).

We now have a modern sports/multi functional facility that our town can be proud of, the improved facilities are available for the whole community to use, whether for a sporting venture, business or education.

The last phase of the restoration work will be the building of a new flood defence scheme which will protect not only ourselves but our neighbours as well. To accomplish this task, we are taking a pivotal role and acting as the hub for all discussions with the newly formed Egremont Flood Action group, which in conjunction with the Environmental Agency is working to set up a permanent solution to our problem.

The other major benefit of the restored club is the provision of dedicated disabled facilities, including disabled access and disabled toilet, which we didn’t have in the original clubhouse. The disabled access has a new raised area at the front of the club, which gives disabled spectators a better view of games. We took a conscious decision to make our facilities accessible to as many members of our community as possible.

As well as sport, during the summer months, we will be continuing a new venture in partnership with the National Caravan Club. We have hosted the National Caravan Club for four years now, and this addition to the club’s activities demonstrates that we are positive about bringing new ventures to the club, which will also enhance the town, and bring in much welcome revenue to the area (approx 60 new visitors to Egremont last year).

Two additional ventures include providing a camp site for the national caravans and continuing to hold 2 motor cycle rallies. This brings in vital tourism to the Western Lakes area.

The club continues to look forward and diversify as much as is practical.

Need, purpose and community involvement

The Egremont area is one of high deprivation due to the collapse of its local industry – namely coal and iron ore mining and steel works – and the lack of new industry to replace them. There is no other facility in the town like ERUFC that can give individuals the opportunity to play multi sports on a modern high tech surface and the chance to receive adult education in a modern, purpose-built environment.

The Multi User Games Area represents a significant investment in sporting facilities as the last sporting investment in the town was in 1963. There is also only one major employer in the area (Nuclear). The area has a poor road infrastructure so there are very few opportunities for new businesses coming into the area.

To complete the project we engaged we partnered with some leading companies nationally and locally. We have managed to extend the position of Sports Development Coordinator and broadened the scope to include Facility Management. This post is key to establishing the new business centre, and ensuring the facilities are properly managed.

We are now working closely with Copeland Council to set out a strategy that will give local students valuable work experience in facility management, sports coaching and catering.

Over the last 12 months, even though our facilities were decimated and we were working from a portakabin, we have continued our work with local primary schools to provide free of charge a range of sporting activities, mainly multi activity/sports that meet the children’s and the schools’ requirements.

We have:

• increased participation in junior rugby and multi sports by boys and girls Under 16 from 45 in September 2008 to 245 in September 2010
• increased participation by adults to over 200 per week in just over 12 months of running the new multi sports facility, mainly for 5-a-side football, with various organisations and clubs using the facility throughout the week and an annual throughput of 9,000 participants
• increased female participation in rugby and multi sports from 2 in September 2008 to 57 in September 2010
• worked regularly with local schools and areas of high deprivation in our community, providing sports coaching and facilities free of charge
• worked regularly with Egremont Youth Works group, again providing coaching and facilities free of charge
• supported Copeland Borough Council sports development team by hosting their holiday activity events and their annual ‘Step into Sport’ information night, in conjunction with Cumbria Sport

In terms of rugby, we now have 82 registered adult players (which allows us to run 2 senior adult teams), 189 club members, 20 Under 15s girls, 150 registered youth players with teams at Under 8s, 10s, 12s, 13s, 14s, 15s, 16s and 17s – we are the only Rugby Union club in Copeland to do this.

We have 10 qualified level 1 coaches in rugby union and 9 qualified rugby union referees. We have also gained the RFU Youth and Mini ‘Seal of Approval’ (equivalent to Club Mark status) and we are working towards the ‘Whole Club’ Seal of Approval.

We have held football coaching sessions in partnership with the Cumberland Football Association, and have started rugby coaching for girls, hosting coaching sessions for the Cumbria County Girls Under 15 and 18 teams, as well as several development sessions for North West Girls Rugby.

In summary we have achieved all of the goals set in our development plan and are fulfilling our mission “To Strengthen the Community through the love of Sport”.

Our achievements to date have been commended by Sport England, who have cited us as an exemplary club, where funding invested will be fully utilised for the benefit of all. We have also been chosen as Copeland community sports club of 2010, of which we are extremely proud. But we want to do more.

Innovation and quality

Once we had reviewed the devastation and talked things through with the Loss Adjuster, we were faced with 2 options:

1. restore the club to its original state (with half of the club redundant through the new changing room pavilion being opened)
2. choose a new internal design that would feature disabled facilities and a purpose-built training/conference/community room. These two new elements would benefit the whole community.

We consulted with local councils and regeneration trusts to ensure our plans met their strategic plans for the area. They did, so we engaged the services of some of our former players who had the skills to deliver a high spec project of this nature, for example, architects, project managers, clerk of works.

We established a small project team to focus on the recovery work. The next step was to set out the scope of work (which included designs for the restored facility), the standards expected with a design of this scale, and time scales to completion. We also wanted to employ local people who had the skills to carry out a project of this size. We found just such a contractor, and in under 10 months, we have gone from the depths of despair to full renaissance due to our membership and the generosity of our partners and sponsors.

Transferability and learning points

The project team agreed early on that the project manager had authority to act for the benefit of the project without coming back to committee for decisions. This helped to keep the momentum of the project.

You need 4 key roles in order to deliver a successful project of this type, they are: architect, project manager, clerk of works and a dedicated fundraiser. The 4 post holders would concentrate on their particular objective and report to the weekly meeting on progress made. We also engaged the contractor in separate weekly meetings with the project manager to ensure continuity.

The architect, clerk of works and contractor worked together to ensure the build was to the highest specification and environmentally friendly with regard to heating, lighting, insulation and water efficiency.

Throughout the whole of process you need patience and flexible, both in terms of your working methods and the build itself. Some things will not go according to plan. You have to be open minded and change tack if needed.

Funding, future financial viability and outcomes

The total costs of the restoration project were £236,000 inclusive of VAT.

Insurance recovery funding = £114,000
The following grants were awarded for the restoration project in 2009/10:

• Nuclear Decommissioning Authority = £28,400
• Copeland Community Fund = £18,000
• Rugby Football Union = 12,500
• Cumbria Community Foundation = £10,000
• Nuclear Management Partnership (Directors capitol build fund) = £1,000
• Hadfield Trust = £3,000
• Coalfields Regeneration Trust (Bridging The gap) = £4,660
• Low Level Waste Repository = £1,000
• Cumbria County Council capital build Fund = £5,000
• Energy Solutions = £5,000
• Doosan Babcocks = £500
• Egremont Rotarians = £500
• C&D Environmental Co Ltd = £1,000

Key partners

• Nuclear Decomissioning Authority
• Nuclear Management Partnership
• Copeland Community Foundation
• Cumbria Community Foundation
• Cumbria County Council
• Copeland Council
• Egremont Town Council
• Rugby Football Union
• Cumbria Rugby Union
• Cumberland Football Association
• Energy Solutions
• Hadfield Trust
• Egremont Rotarians
• C & D Environmental Company Ltd
• Doosan Babcock

In 2008, the freehold and management transferred to Congleton Town Council, which is currently undertaking a £750,000 refurbishment.]]> Congleton Town Hall is situated on the High Street in the beautiful historic market town of Congleton, Cheshire.

The impressive Town Hall was designed by E.W. Godwin and built in 1864 at a cost of £8,000!

A major refurbishment was undertaken in 1996, which enabled many interior features to be brought back to their original design.

In 2008, the freehold and management transferred to Congleton Town Council, which is currently undertaking a £750,000 refurbishment.

The award-winning Tourist Information Centre and Congleton Community Projects are both based in the Town Hall. The town council is located on the first and second floor along with the Congleton Partnership and Community Projects offices.

More proactive management by the Town Council is making the Town Hall not only the civic hub, but the focal point for musical and community events, weddings and corporate events.

A Community Interest Company (CIC) - Marsh Street Arches and Garden - was formed to develop the land and four adjacent railway arches to benefit the local community.]]> In 2003 a group of residents, with the help of community development workers, began to consult with stakeholders in an effort to plan, design and create a green urban oasis on an area of derelict land owned by Barrow Borough Council.

The land and buildings proposed for development had been derelict for almost 30 years and had been used as an area for fly tipping, arson, under-age drinking and drug abuse.

A Community Interest Company (CIC) – Marsh Street Arches and Garden – was formed to develop the land and four adjacent railway arches to benefit the local community.

Eight years on and Green Heart Den is thriving and work is underway to bring an adjacent plot back into use.

Ideas for the arches came through a combination of community consultation, and suggestions from the management committee and partner organisations. Options include:

• after schools club
• community cafe
• supervised youth facility
• educational and training facility
• sports/recreational centre, arts space and shared community space

The CIC is currently working on a lease agreement with Network Rail and have requested the support of the government’s asset transfer unit to help it draw up a draft agreement.

An urban oasis

After attending an urban design course at The National Tenant’s Resource Centre, residents on the original project team produced a detailed proposal for the development. The group submitted the proposal to Barrow Borough Council for their approval to use the land and to convince them that they could deliver the project.

Barrow Borough Council agreed to lease the land to the group which then raised grant money from West Lakes Renaissance allowing them to complete the first phase of work, the community garden.

The CIC is now trying to secure permanent pedestrian access and is turning its attention to a smaller piece of land to the north of the railway arches. It hopes to transform this into a community grow your own scheme.