- Area:
- Yorkshire and the Humber
- Programme:
- Community Assets
- Release date:
- 23 3 2009
Work to refurbish Keighley Central Hall has been given the green light today as the Government confirmed a £1 million grant to transform the Alice Street building into a community hub.
The grant from the Office of the Third Sector in the Cabinet Office’s Community Assets scheme has been awarded to Bradford Council to create a centre of excellence for Keighley’s voluntary and community organisations. New meeting rooms and office space will make Central Hall home for a number of local groups, as well as providing affordable space for social enterprises and a meeting place for the local community.
The grant comes from the Government’s Community Assets programme, funded by the Office of the Third Sector in the Cabinet Office and delivered by Big Fund (BIG), the non-Lottery funding operation of the Big Lottery Fund. The project will repair and refurbish the currently unused building, splitting the space into three zones, one for enterprise, one for community space and one for the voluntary and community sector.
Bradford Council Leader, Coun Kris Hopkins, said: "The Central Hall project presents the Council and Keighley Voluntary Services with an exciting opportunity to bring a disused building back into use and provide facilities including large meeting space, offices and a community cafe in a welcoming and central location for the benefit and use of the local community, groups and organisations.
"It is envisaged that the project will not only contribute towards the regeneration of Keighley but assist in promoting and developing strong partnership working between the Council and voluntary and community organisations."
The Council has agreed in principle to transfer ownership of the hall to Keighley Voluntary Services under a 99-year leasehold at peppercorn rent. This will place the building firmly in the hands of the local community, providing a vibrant asset for all sections of society.
Renting out office space and function rooms will enable the project to be sustainable into the future.
Kevin Brennan MP, Minister for the Third Sector, said: “The Government is investing £30 million across the country into excellent community projects such as Keighley Central 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.”
Caroline James, BIG’s Head of Region for Yorkshire & The Humber, said: “This project will make a real difference to the lives of people living in the local area. Providing quality spaces 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:
- Local third sector organisations have greater security and independence, and are better able to meet the needs of the communities they serve.
- Communities have more access to better facilities that respond to their needs.
- 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:
- Holiday play facilities and activities for parents and pre-school children
- Facilities for young people providing alternative education services, evening coffee bar, leisure facilities, professional advice and guidance, anti-gun and knife crime events
- GP referrals, healthy eating service, facilities offering keep fit classes, group wellbeing activities, a wheelchair service, therapy and rehabilitation services
- Adult education, training courses, addiction assistance, ICT facilities and employment opportunities in deprived areas
- Lunch clubs and tea dances for the elderly
- Theatre events, rehearsal space, music facilities, venues for music events, creative arts groups and experimental art exhibitions
- Meeting rooms, office services and facilities for smaller local groups including BME communities
- Workshops, training rooms and support to local business start-ups
- 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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