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And
now the big question - who will
be the official opener on August 4?
After years of benign neglect and malign vandalism the Northolme Community
Centre is now the centre of activity. Not only has building work started
(see above) but at the NCC Association's annual meeting on February 26
members were discussing who might be invited to officially open the centre
on August 4!
Fran White NCCA chair
explained that although the Association has over £21,000 in the
bank this is unrepresentative of its assets. Larger sums have been promised
via grants and will be paid out as invoices are presented for work done.
Other applications for grants are being considered by a number of bodies
and Margaret Beare from the annual meeting audience promised £500,
in memory of her husband, Roy to be spent on kitchen equipment.
Fran White asked
for a contingency fund to cover expenditure unforeseen in the original
budget, one example being the builder's recommendation that expansion
joints be provided at a cost of £600 - £700. The meeting agreed
and voted to allow a loan of up to £5000 to be taken out as a temporary
measure and paid off from the Centre's income.
Next NCCA meeting, March 26,
Belmont Community Centre, 7.30 pm
'Pavilion'
team on show and a
winner in the landfill christening
Fun
Day held on Saturday, June 24 2006, for a variety of reasons.
To allow residents
an opportunity to meet members of the Northolme Community Centre Association
whose aim is develop the Northolme Road "pavilion".
To raise money for
same. How about £480 before expenses? Via plant, bottle, cake and
crafts stalls, strawberry teas, etc.
To encourage residents
to choose a more attractive name for the landfill. The winner Abbey View
Park, closely followed by Belmont Pastures.
To entertain the
kids. With a bouncy castle, face painting, lucky dip, music workshop,
fitness classes, that perennial favourite the fire engine and a penalty
shoot-out.
To sponsor one of
the centre's bricks.
Coverage in the
Hereford Times, the Hereford Journal and on BBC Hereford and Worcester
(TV and radio).
Didn't rain!
Progress
report from
recently formed NCCA
Extracts
from a newsletter published in March 2006 by Northolme Community Centre
Association:
"Last August
(ie, 2005) we heard that the efforts of another local group to get another
community centre up and running at Northolme Road had fallen through.
A few people were very disappointed and decided to start a new association
which would only be interested in forming and running this new centre
"We worked very
hard to complete all the paperwork and become a registered charity. We
have had several meetings with Herefordshire Council and hope to be signing
a lease on the building within the next few weeks or as soon as a majority
of our funding is in place".
Funding sources
BIG Lottery: Outline application for £50,000.
Belmont Rural
PC: Grant
of £10,000
Tesco: As
a result of planning requirements a sum that has now grown to £58,000
Herefordshire
Community Buildings Fund: Application for £15,000
Awards for All:
Application for £5000.
Herefordshire
Council: Assurances that building is in good condition (worth as
much as £4500
Foundation
pulls out
The South Wye Foundation, formed to develop and run the
Northolme Community Centre (sometimes known as The Pavilion), has withdrawn
from the project. Although funds are available for refurbishment the Foundation
believes the structure is unsatisfactory. This is disputed by Herefordshire
Council, present owner of the building. The Parish Council is gathering
relevant data and will probably invite residents to a choose the best
option for the building's future.
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