Government funds bring new life to old school

Area:

South East England

Programme:

Community Assets

Release date:

23 3 2009

Hastings volunteers will get a new home in a former school building thanks to an Office of Third Sector in the Cabinet Office grant of close to £750,000 awarded today to Hastings Borough Council.

The Jackson Hall project aims to repair and refurbish a city centre-based former school building, which is currently used as a vocational training centre, for use as a new centre for local volunteer organisations.

The major redevelopment project has received the grant from the Community Assets programme funded by the Office of the Third Sector in the Cabinet Office and delivered by Big Fund, the non-Lottery funding operation of the Big Lottery Fund.

Kevin Brennan MP, Minister for the Third Sector, said, “The Government is investing £30 million across the country into excellent community projects such as Jackson 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.”

There is a pressing need in Hastings, one of the most deprived areas in the country, for suitable accommodation for a number of community organisations that will be displaced through town centre regeneration plans. The refurbished building will be a hub for local groups, including social enterprises, and will offer the opportunity to encourage more active community involvement among local residents.

Hastings Borough Council Leader, Peter Pragnell said: “We are very pleased indeed that we are able provide this facility for the HVA and thanks to this grant we will be able to make it a modern, accessible, energy-efficient building. We are also pleased to be able to help community groups and myself look forward to visiting the new offices. We expect to start work next year and see it completed in 2011.”

Steve Manwaring, Director of Hastings Voluntary Action, said: ”We really welcome this as a positive step forward for us and other voluntary and community groups. The Community Assets transfer project shows what can be achieved with good partnership working and provides us with an opportunity to expand our services.

”The regeneration of Hastings is a welcome development but will increase market rents and the “affordability gap” for local not for profit groups. This project will provide quality affordable accommodation to not-for profit groups which is in great demand.”

BIG’s South East Head of Region, Alison Rowe, said: “This project will make a real difference to the volunteer organisations helping Hastings residents. Providing quality spaces for local people 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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