Action Plan
What We Have Achieved So Far
We have made good progress since this project started in May 2023. The building has been surveyed, we have consulted with our community, held public meetings and are currently working hard on our grant funding application. You can read more in our news archives.
Phase One – Summer 2024
- grant funding to purchase
A charitable community benefit society has been created to manage the process and to ensure that all efforts are for the benefit of the community, rather than for any individual.
This project has been confirmed to be eligible for us to apply to the Department of Levelling Up, specifically for communities to invest in their local assets. We will need to prove community support and present a viable business plan.
We are on track to submit our application before the scheme closes in the summer of 2024.
Phase Two – Autumn 2024 to late 2025
- community share issue & fundraising
- community rooms on ground floor
- refurbishment
- reopen
Shares will be sold in the community organisation to allow local people to directly invest in the project. Anyone can buy shares, with a minimum of £250 investment and a maximum of £25,000. Every shareholder will have one vote in decisions on how the project is run.
Additional money will be raised from other public grants and from private loans and donations.
There will be essential repairs to be made and services to be reinstated. The ground floor will be divided up into a series of flexible spaces for a wide range of community activities. The stage and auditorium will be refurbished to allow basic performance and the building will reopen to the public.
Phase Three – three to five years
- further fundraising
- recording studios, artists studios
Our project will be eligible for further funding once we are up & running and have proved that our vision brings real benefit to our community.