Barking secures £1 million for community hub

Area:

London

Programme:

Community Assets

Release date:

23 3 2009

A Government grant of almost £1 million has been confirmed today, paving the way for Barking & Dagenham Council to extend and refurbish Ripple Community Hall, Barking, to create a centre for local community and voluntary groups managed by Barking and Dagenham Council for Voluntary Service.

The £932,750 grant from the Government’s Community Assets scheme will be used to extend and improve the Hall, creating an accessible home for a host of charities and community groups right in the centre of Barking.

The Community Assets programme is funded by the Office of the Third Sector in the Cabinet Office and delivered by the Big Fund (BIG).

Cllr Val Rush, Executive Member for Safer Neighbourhoods and Communities, at Barking and Dagenham Council, said: “We are very pleased that the Government has supported this bid that will assist local community groups to expand their activities; which will help to meet the needs of our residents.”

The hall already provides space for a number of local community organisations such as theatre and church groups and hosts community based events and activities. However, the first floor activities hall and meeting rooms are not well used, due to their unappealing appearance and difficulties with access.

The grant will be used to refurbish the ground floor, construct a two-storey extension, provide open plan office space, create a meeting room and training space, install an improved lift and open a new community café.

When work is complete Barking & Dagenham Council will transfer ownership of the buildings to Barking and Dagenham Council for Voluntary Service under a 25-year lease basis at a concessionary rate. This will place the building in the hands of the community, benefiting a range of local groups who will make the new Third Sector Hub their home.

Kevin Brennan MP, Minister for the Third Sector, said: “The Government is investing  £30 million across the country into excellent community projects such as Ripple Community Hall. Facilities such as these are much needed by voluntary and community groups, particularly during these challenging economic times when people are increasingly calling on community support.”

Debbie Pippard, BIG’s Head of London Region, said: “This project will make a real difference to the lives of people living in the local area. Providing quality spaces for community groups and for local people to come together, learn, and enjoy activities is vital to ensure that the most isolated and disadvantaged get the support they need, right at the heart of the community.”

Further Information

Big Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of hours contact: 07867 500 572
Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102030
Textphone: 0845 6021 659

Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

Notes to Editors

• Community Assets is a non-Lottery programme funded by the Office of the Third Sector in the Cabinet Office.
• The Big Fund is the non-Lottery funding operation of the Big Lottery Fund.
• The Big Lottery Fund (BIG) distributes lottery funding to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK. It also uses its expertise in grant-giving to distribute non-Lottery funding. BIG has been appointed to distributed around £30 million of Government funding through Community Assets
• The aim of Community Assets is community empowerment. It will do this by facilitating the transfer of genuine assets from local authorities to the third sector for the benefit of the community.  Community Assets will bring about the following outcomes:

1. Local third sector organisations have greater security and independence, and are better able to meet the needs of the communities they serve.
2. Communities have more access to better facilities that respond to their needs.
3. There is more effective partnership working between local authorities and the third sector.

• The range of activities to be offered by the recipients of Community Assets in principle grants includes:

1. Holiday play facilities and activities for parents and pre-school children
2. Facilities for young people providing alternative education services, evening coffee bar, leisure facilities, professional advice and guidance, anti-gun and knife crime events
3. GP referrals, healthy eating service, facilities offering keep fit classes, group wellbeing activities, a wheelchair service, therapy and rehabilitation services
4. Adult education, training courses, addiction assistance, ICT facilities and employment opportunities in deprived areas
5. Lunch clubs and tea dances for the elderly
6. Theatre events, rehearsal space, music facilities, venues for music events, creative arts groups and experimental art exhibitions
7. Meeting rooms, office services and facilities for smaller local groups including BME communities
8. Workshops, training rooms and support to local business start-ups
9. New tourism and leisure destinations

• The Office of the Third Sector was formed (OTS) in May 2006 in recognition of the increasingly important role the third sector plays in both society and the economy. It aims to drive forward the Government's role in supporting a thriving third sector, and join up sector-related work across government: http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector.
• From 30 March to 23 June 2007 the Office of the Third Sector ran a public consultation on how Community Assets will work.  A wide range of local authorities and third sector organisations responded to the consultation. The Office of the Third Sector summarised the responses and explained how they will influence the final programme on 10 August 2007.
• The Community Assets fund was first proposed last year in the Pre-Budget Report (6 December 2006).
• http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/makingassetswork

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