http://www.calderdale-online.org > Community > Community Action > Save Our Salem (You are here)

Save the Community Centre
and the Ground Floor Project

The Ground Floor Project and the Salem Community Centre was under threat from Calderdale Council who intended cutting its funding from April 2005.

This would lead to the closure of the Ground Floor Project and Salem Community Centre and will result in the 60 plus user groups using the Centre becoming homeless. A campaign was run to say NO to any Cuts in funding.

 

 

Sign our petition online

 

 

Updates

On the 22nd of September 2004 Carol Stone (Head of Youth Service and Connexions Development) wrote to the Chair of the Ground Floor:

Dear Mr Siddall,

 

Re: Ground Floor Project - Arrangements for Funding

 

Following the visit made by Andrew Pitt and myself on October 20th, I am writing to share with you our proposals for the future.

 

We recognise that the main business of Ground Floor is to operate as a community organisation, rather than as a dedicated youth organisation. Our proposal is, therefore, that from 1st April 2005, the project should transfer from the Youth Section to the Community Services Directorate.

 

The detail of this transfer would be as follows:-

1) From April 1st 2005, any budget identified for the Ground Floor Project (i.e. £48,660) should be transferred from the Youth Service to Community Services.

2) Responsibility for, and employment of the two staff, who are Council employees, would also be transferred.

3) The project would be included in the Phase 1 of Community Services grants programme, which would give funding until March 2007. The project will be subject to Community Services contracting, monitoring and auditing processes. After the above date, you will be able to reapply for funding, subject to Community Services regulations.

4) The Youth Service will continue to make provision for youth work in Hebden Bridge, either at Ground Floor, or elsewhere.

 

I have copied this letter to all interested parties, and would be grateful for your views in response to this letter.

 

Thank you for your time the other day, and your patience in waiting for us to reach a solution.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Carol Stone

Ground Floor has written back to state that in principle it is in full agreement with these proposals (however, in the interests of local youththe provision for youth work as outlined in point four should remain in Hebden Royd and preferably at Salem) and we now wait to see whether elected members will ratify these proposals - please watch this space...

Celebrate at the Salem Saved Concert

An evening to celebrate the successful local campaign against the closure of Salem Community Centre.

Performances from Centre's African Drumming Class, Circus Skills, T.A.G. Tae Kwon Do and Hebden Bridge Youth Club and DJ's.

Hebden Bridge Trades Club

7pm - 11pm

Thursday 27th January 2005

Tickets from the Salem Community Centre £2

(admits 1 adult and 1 child - all children will be asked to leave by 9pm)

The Rally - 23rd October 2004

The Situation

Over the last few years the section of Calderdale funding the Ground Floor Project has gone through a number of departmental changes and priorities —first it metamorphosed into Community Education and incorporated Adult Education provision, later when Adult Education moved out, the department became the Youth Section and its priorities again changed to focus almost exclusively on provision for 13 to 19 year olds. However, no option was given for groups with wider priorities to have their funding transferred to other departments and when last year WE approached the head of the Youth section to discuss moving our funding to a more appropriate department, we were told to wait as no decision could be made at that time.

In 2004 a Scrutiny Report stated that Ground Floor Project, which by default was still being funded out of the Youth Service budget, was not providing value for money for young people aged 13 to 19. The Ground Floor Project was not consulted beforehand nor was the committee allowed any input into the final document.

The Crisis

What is/was proposed is that while this year's funding will remain and user groups can continue to use Salem Community Centre until next April, with effect from 2005 our funding and staff time will be reduced by a third and by the same amount the following year. This will lead to the closure of the Ground Floor Project and Salem Community Centre and make our 60 plus user groups homeless.

The situation is critical and we need the people of Hebden Bridge to act now to make Councillors aware that this would devastate Hebden Bridge.

Please give your support to fight the cuts and save the Project by demanding the transfer of existing funding to a more appropriate department.

To help,

Write to Calderdale MBC and your local Councillors care of:

The Ground Floor Project
Salem Community Centre,
Central Street,
Hebden Bridge,
HX7 6HB

And we will make sure your letters reach the appropriate people or alternatively support Save Our Salem campaign by writing to the Hebden Bridge Times and Evening Courier and make your feelings felt.

How is Ground Floor's grant money provided?

Ground Floor is listed as receiving over £45,000 a year from Calderdale MBC.

However all but £11,380 of this is staff wages paid directly by CMBC for one full-time resource manager and a part-time administrator who are seconded on a permanent basis to the charity. As CMBC has a “no redundancy” policy at present, and given that the staff are community workers, not youth workers (and are on very specific contracts), these staff cannot just be merged into the youth section if Ground Floor closes. These staff, paid as are all Council staff from the rates not from any external government or quango funding, will either have to be made redundant BY Calderdale MBC (their employers) or be moved to another department somewhere where the Council will still have to pay their wages.

 

Result? Taking this section of the grant away from Ground Floor Project will not result in any financial savings to Calderdale MBC UNLESS the Council intends making CMBC employees redundant.

That only leaves £11,380 that can be physically ‘saved' by the Council if it closes down the Ground Floor Project and Salem Community Centre.

 

THAT amount of the grant money provides accommodation for over 60 groups, enabling 32 local people to be employed as a result, and allowing for 46,634 visits by local people to the Centre of which 390 young people under the age of 26 used the facilities 37,949 times last year.

 

At present Ground Floor generates approximately £20,000 every year to fund the Centre and helps bring in at least £100,000 each year for community development in Calderdale.

 

If Ground Floor and Salem Community Centre closes, Calderdale MBC will either have to pay for accommodation for its three night a week statutory youth facility for young people or withdraw this service from the town as there is nowhere else for it to go and it will render all of the other groups that currently use the centre equally homeless and without access to any resources.

 

So if Ground Floor's grant is withdrawn it may save Calderdale £11,380 (though if the Youth Club is to be maintained it is likely to be less that £5,000 that is saved), but it would result in 60 groups being made homeless, at least 32 people being made unemployed and hundreds of young people out on the streets.

 

Does this sound like good value for money?

External Funding from Trusts?

There is an assumption that if Calderdale MBC withdraws funding from the Ground Floor that it will be a relatively easy matter to replace that funding through other sources.

 

According to the Charities Information Bureau there are approximately 577 charitable trusts that, on paper, could revenue fund the Ground Floor Project.

 

However:

 

331 trusts do not give grants of more than £1,000.

Of the trusts that remain, 130 will only give grants specific to medical charities or the arts.

 

A further 111 will only give one-off revenue funding, primarily for new or innovative projects, not for existing projects.

 

That only leaves 5 trusts nationally that could potentially fund Ground Floor, all of whom had been approached in the last year by ourselves for much smaller amounts but were unsuccessful. Given how oversubscribed these trusts are, it is unlikely that we can rely on being successful not just once but year-on-year. This is not a viable alternative to ensure the survival of this vital resource.

Can Ground Floor self-generate the £45,000 itself?

At present we raise an additional £20,000 a year and, with the Calderdale grant, just manage to cover the running costs of the project. Were we to raise hire costs to cover the additional £45,000, NONE of the user groups would be able to afford to hire the space and would be forced to close anyway.

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Use of the Community Centre

In 2003/4 the building was used 46,634 times and was open Monday to Sunday, 50 weeks a year. To cater for the 57 regular groups that used us during that time, the three halls, café and office spaces were in use from 7.30am until 10pm Monday to Friday. In total 132 volunteers support these groups and 32 people are employed through the various schemes set up by the Ground Floor Project, none of whom are funded by Calderdale MBC.

 

Out of that figure the Youth Club accounted for a total of 70 users under the age of 26 who used the facilities 1,464 times.

 

In comparison the other groups accounted for 320 users in total in the same age range who used the facilities a total of 36,485 times!

 

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What Benefit is the Ground Floor Project?

As well as providing accommodation for over 60 local user groups covering the entire spectrum of the community, employing 32 local people and bringing in at least a hundred thousand pounds in resources every year into Calderdale through its many projects, the Ground Floor Project has helped establish a number of community resources, including ALL four out of school clubs in Hebden Bridge and supported the formation of many others, established the first kerbside recycling in Calderdale, setting up Pennine Magpie and the Scrapstore and supported the establishment of the Hebden Bridge Alternative Technology Centre, the Calder Valley Credit Union (now part of the Calderdale Credit Union) and historically has put Hebden Bridge and Calderdale on the map by—creating the first community cyber café in the UK, later setting up the café as a training project for young adults with learning disabilities, supporting the development of afffordable housing co-operatives (Zion Co-op), establishing the UK's first alternative local currency, setting up a battery farm to use solar power to recharge domestic household batteries for reuse, making Hebden bridge the first town in the UK to be able to provide comprehensive out of school childcare, providing the countries' first carshare scheme to use alternative fuels.

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Press Realises

Friday, May 21, 2004

"Cash Cuts may Force Closure" - Hebden Bridge Times

The original news report about whether CMBC Youth Service should be funding a wider community agenda through its budget and listed the Ground Floor Project as one of those projects that did not just provide services to the 11 to 19 age group.

 

The council Scrutiny Committee felt that it was unfair and funding should be cut.

 

Talks between the chair of Ground Floor, Calderdale's Head of Services and the head of Youth Services resulted in an agreement to leave funding as it was for 2004 but in 2005 funding will be cut by 1/3 and again over the following two years down to zero.

 

Wednesday, June 30, 2004

"Don't pull the plug on our future" - Evening Courier

Three community centres are facing the axe because the Council is withdrawing vital funding. The Ground Floor Project in Hebden Bridge, Ashenhurst Community Centre in Todmorden and the YMCA in Halifax are all under threat. Despite the funding being withdrawn over a three year period, The first cut will be in April 2005 there are worries that the centres can't cope in the first 12 months and in Ground Floor's case could could leave 60 groups homeless. All three centres have been receiving funding from the Calderdale Council's Youth and Community budget, which has become Youth Services. The departments, which fund them, have changed from supporting the whole community to just funding activities for people aged 13 to 19.

"Entirely due to funding cuts" - Letter to Evening Courier

Reply to a letter which made the mistake of thinking the closure of Ground Floor and its 60 user groups were to do with the lack of disabled access. This reply stressed the fact the possible closure will be all down to Calderdale's proposed cuts in Youth Funding to organisation like us.

 

Ground Floor has had plans drawn and approved plans in the installation of a suitable lift for the disabled and in the 3 years they have made several funding bids to finance the £75,000 needed for it which takes time and Ground Floor are confident in achieving it.

Friday, July 2, 2004

"Shaming Council for Cuts" - Hebden Bridge Times

To help save the centre, Ground Floor has planned a 10-minute 'flash' demonstration urging locals to join them and to collect signatures there petition for Calderdale to find funding from another council budget. The chairman at Ground Floor was delighted at the response to the petition so far but the campaign needs more support.

 

Other organisations facing cuts are Forest Cottage Community Association, Illingworth Sowood Community Centre, Holywell Green and Waring Green Community Centre, Brighouse.

Monday, July 5, 2004

"High Noon... and it's a showdown" - Evening

Article reported that more than '50' people gathered at St George's Square, Hebden Bridge to stage a rally on the cost-cutting exercise, which will end up costing Ground Floor to close. Protesters gathered more signatures for their petition, which they hope, would shame the council into making a U-turn.

 

Wednesday, July 7, 2004

"Hands Off Oor HQ say groups " - Evening Courier

The SOS CAMPAIGN has been launched to save the Ground Floor Project, Hebden Bridge. Ground Floor Project has set up a campaign "SOS - Save Our Salem" to fight the threat of closure. Petition forms and post cards of support have been issued to schools, shops and community groups to gain public support. The Salem centre which is open 50 weeks a year Monday to Sunday was used 46,634 times last year, 132 volunteers support the 60 user groups who employ 32 people on their various schemes. The youth club over the past year had 70 youngsters under the age of 26 using facilities 1,464 times. In addition 320 youngsters in the same age range used the facilities 36,485 times.

 

The chairman of Ground Floor said, "Children and the Youth groups make up the majority of our users and it is ignorant and insulting for Calderdale to suggest otherwise".

"Hands off our Centre" - Evening Courier

Salem Community centre is the only centre with a large enough halls to cater for most of the groups who use them. If they get shut where will everyone go? The Youth house and Central Street pool were closed and they now want Salem this is one of the reasons they are fighting and shows what they of the youngsters in Hebden. This why they need your support by signing the petition or sending the post card to Ground Floor.

"Save our centre!" - Letter to Evening Courier

Rose Grove, concerned after reading the article ("Don't pull the plug on our future") wrote stating that she is involved in with the Woodcraft Folk at the Ground Floor, which runs four groups every week with children from 6 to 16. He goes on saying the groups foster understanding of citizenship, co-operation and environmental awareness and contributes to present and future society and if Salem goes down there isn't gone be a place for them to go too as the resources are being moved to Halifax and finds it not acceptable as Hebden Bridge should be treated equally.

 

Friday, July 9, 2004

"Groups Rally to save Centre" - Hebden Bridge Times

More then 150 protesters braved torrential rain and rallied in St George's Square at high noon to support Ground Floor Project fight to save Salem Community Centre who have helped set up many innovative respected community groups which are all taken for granted such as the Alternative Technology Centre, Kerbside, Pennine Magpie, the Credit Union, Schools Out etc. and over the years the charity has brought more then £4 million of funding into the town. Many groups still use their charitable status to get funding.

Tuesday, July 20, 2004

"Think again over threat to Centre" - Letter to Evening Courier

Mrs Schofield wrote concerning towards the article ("Don't pull the plug on our future") If funding to the Ground Floor Project is cut the two staff will have to be redeployed because of the Calderdale no redundancy policy. So is there a hidden agenda?

 

Salem community is a vital part of Hebden Bridge, used by 60 groups and the residents pay the highest council tax in Calderdale because we pay for CCTV cover in addition to the standard council tax, so why cut over community facilities? The council should think again.

 

"Don't take away group's funding" - Letter to Evening Courier

Kevin Hogan the Manager of HourCar, wrote to say that it is one of the projects at Ground Floor who is writing in support. HourCar has generated the funding to operate. It was Ground Floor's obstinate vision that HourCar should use the green fuel BioDiesel and own their own vehicles which made Hour Car a Pioneering scheme unique in the country. The project is bringing real benefits to the town in reducing car usage and pollution and providing social benefits in our members.

 

At some point HourCar will be independent of Ground Floor as this is how they work. It sets up organisations, supports them till they can stand on their own two feet. Ground floor has started up the Alternative Technology Centre, Kerbside and Pennine Magpie: three important and successful groups. After HourCar, if it is still running it will start more exciting schemes benefiting the area.

 

Kevin Hogan has found the Ground Floor staff extremely hard working and efficient in generating projects and running the Centre so doesn't let them take away the funding.

 

Friday, August 20, 2004

"We are Ready to Fight for our Community Centre" - Evening Courier

The Ground Floor Project was visited by Sue Catling, Conservative Parliamentary candidate who had heard that 60 local groups could face the axe. She supports the Save Our Salem Campaign. After visiting Ground Floor she said the community of Hebden Bridge would suffer if it was forced to close.

 

She promised that she would see what could be done to save the funding after news emerged that it could be withdrawn. She was impressed with what she saw and learned the huge projects Ground Floor are running like New Deal Project, National Childbirth Trust classes for pregnant women, after school clubs and play groups.

 

"Candidate Backs bid to Rescue Vital Centre" - Hebden Bridge Times

Sue Catling, who has pledged her backing for the threatened Ground Floor Project met up with concerned children, parents and volunteers. She said it would be awful if the centre closed as it would make life difficult for the families who rely on the project and that it would upset and disturb a lot of children. She was impressed with the Project and was confused why the council won't fund such a multifaceted facility for "£11,000 a year".

 

I Want to help, What can I do?

Write your local Calderdale Councillor and say NO to CUTS!!!

Write to the Hebden Bridge Times/Evening Courier in support of the Ground Floor Project...

Sign our petition... get all of your friends to sign it too...

Sign one of our postcards and get your neighbours to fill them in too.

Get your groups to write in support (and don't forget to let us have a copy of anything you send).

Display one of our posters or get your local shop to display a poster, stock our postcards or take our petition...