AGENDA ITEM
13 EXECUTIVE
DATE: 29 OCTOBER 2007
SUBJECT: MANAGEMENT OF BURY PARK COMMUNITY CENTRE
REPORT BY: HEAD OF LEISURE AND COMMUNITY
CONTACT OFFICER: PETER JONES 01582 546753
IMPLICATIONS:
LEGAL 9 STAFFING 9
EQUALITIES 9 COMMUNITY SAFETY
FINANCIAL 9 RISKS 9
OTHER
CONSULTATIONS:
COUNCILLORS CONSULTED SCRUTINY COMMITTEE CONSULTED
STAKEHOLDERS CONSULTED OTHER
WARDS AFFECTED: BISCOT
LEAD EXECUTIVE MEMBER: COUNCILLOR M. ASHRAF
RECOMMENDATION(S)
1. Executive is recommended to request officers:
(i) to open discussions with the Dallow Development Trust, ward Members and other key community groups in Bury Park as noted in paragraph 6 of this report; and
(ii) to report back the outcome of those discussions to a future meeting of the Executive.
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REPORT
Background
2. During the summer, the Head of Leisure and Community was approached informally by the Chair of the Dallow Development Trust to ascertain whether there was an opportunity for the Trust to take on the management of the Bury Park Community Centre. Having been apprised of the Trust’s intentions in respect of developing the use of the Centre for the benefit of the local community, it was suggested that the Council would need to respond to a formal approach by the Trust. Subsequently, the Dallow Development Trust Board has expressed its interest formally in the management of Bury Park Community Centre. No further discussions have yet taken place.
Dallow Development Trust
3. Dallow Development Trust manages the Dallow Learning Community Centre in Dallow Road, Luton. The Trust was formed in 2000 with a view to developing the Dallow centre, which had been a long held aspiration for the neighbourhood and it was opened in 2003. Capital and revenue funding for the centre came from a variety of sources including the Council, but currently, the Council makes no contribution to the centre’s running costs save for some discretionary rate relief. The Dallow Learning Community Centre appears to have a thriving programme of community events and activities which has been delivered by the Trust in a ward which has extremely high levels of deprivation.
Bury Park Community Centre
4. Bury Park Community Centre is one of eleven Council owned community centres and is managed by the council’s Community Development service. It is also in an area with high levels of deprivation. The centre’s current programme of activities and events is attached at Appendix A. The programme includes the key local services provided by the Council’s Library and Adult and Community Learning services. Current Adult and Community Learning provision is shown at Appendix B.
5. Prior to the restructure of the Community Development service early this year, the service had been working towards establishing a community trust to manage the Bury Park centre. This had involved working alongside a community trust group to build the necessary capacity within the group to assure the Council that the needs of the whole Bury Park community would continue to be met. This process had stalled whilst the service was undergoing restructuring, but is still a priority for development, as is the identification of opportunities to increase usage of the centre. The management (and ownership) of community assets is perceived as a key mechanism for generating community pride, greater community involvement in service delivery and increased levels of volunteering and community activity. If local authority investment is protected, then the additional activity created is a more efficient use of that investment.
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Service Implications
6. Clearly, the management of the Bury Park Community Centre by the Dallow Development Trust would transfer the management to the community sector, which may generate some of the benefits noted above. Additionally, the Trust has some specific plans to increase use of the centre. In particular, the Trust has identified an unfulfilled demand for creation of business start up spaces in Biscot and Dallow. However, against this opportunity must be set the protection of existing users of the centre, including the Library and Adult and Community Learning programmes, the need to ensure that any developments are to the benefit of the local community, the need to involve the existing community trust group and ward Members in any discussion about the future of the centre and the need to properly consider and protect the interests and welfare of the Council’s staff who manage and operate the centre currently.
7. It is recommended that in the first instance, officers open separate and joint discussions with the Dallow Development Trust, the Bury Park community trust group and ward Members to discuss in more detail the aspirations and opportunities for development within the Bury Park Community Centre and how these might then align with the Council’s wider health and well being objectives.
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
8. Complex legal issues will need to be addressed if, following any negotiations, the Executive decides to pursue an outsourcing option for the management of, and the provision of services from, these premises. These legal implications have been agreed with Viv Mercer in Legal Services on 12 October 2007.
STAFFING IMPLICATIONS
9. At this stage, there are no staffing implications. Full consultation will take place on any proposals that potentially affect employees arising from the discussions with Dallow Development Trust and other parties.
EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS
10. At this stage, there are no equality implications, although any proposals arising from discussions will need to undergo an equalities impact assessment.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
11. The proposal to open discussions with a variety of parties has no financial implications. This has been agreed by the Finance Manager (Housing and Community Living) on 11 October.
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RISK IMPLICATIONS
12. At this stage, there are no risks to the Council.
OPTIONS
13. In addition to the option recommended, the Executive could choose to take no action at this time and convey that decision to the Dallow Development Trust.
APPENDIX
14. Appendix A: Bury Park Community Centre Programme 15. Appendix B: Adult and Community Learning Programme
BACKGROUND PAPERS
16. There are no background papers relating to this report.
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APPENDIX A
Bury Park Community Resource Centre 161 – 161B Dunstable Road, Luton, Beds, LU1 1BW Tel: 01582 450194 Fax: 01582 876758 Email:- [email protected]
UUUUDay Activity Start Time Finish Time Monday Jigsaw Pre-School (for 3-5 year olds) 9.15am 3.15pm Learning for Life (training and work opportunities) 9.30am 12.30am Ghar Se Ghar (Women’s group) 9.30am 11.30am Parents and Tots 1.00pm 2.30pm Library 3.30pm 6.00pm Youth Inclusion Programme 5.30pm 8.30pm Friends of Bright Eyes 6.00pm 9.00pm Tai Kwan Do 7.30pm 9.00pm Girls Youth Club 4.30pm 7.30pm Tuesday Jigsaw Pre-School (for 3-5 year olds) 9.15am 3.15pm Early Learners 10.00am 12.00 noon Luton All Women’s Centre 10.00am 5.00pm Mountain of Fire 7.00pm 9.00pm African Caribbean Day Centre 10.00am 5.00pm Library 3.30pm 6.00pm Ultimate Freestyle Combat 7.45pm 8.45pm Wednesday Jigsaw Pre-School (for 3-5 year olds) 9.15am 3.15pm African Caribbean Day Centre 10.00am 3.00pm Parent & Toddlers 11.00am 1.00pm
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Bury Park Community Resource Centre cont……
Day Activity Start Time Finish Time Wednesday cont Shires Karate Kickboxing Academy 7.30pm 9.00pm Tai Kwon Do 3.00pm 5.30pm Library 3.30pm 6.00pm Bini (Arm Wrestling) 6.30pm 8.30pm Day of Pentecost 8.00pm 9.00pm Thursday Jigsaw Pre-School (for 3-5 year olds) 9.15am 3.15pm Ghar Se Ghar (Women’s Group) 9.30am 11.30am African Caribbean Day 10.00am 5.00pm Mountain Of Fire 7.00pm 9.00pm Library 3.30pm 6.00pm Bury Park Youth Organisation 6.00pm 9.00pm Sendo Ryu Karate 6.45pm 8.45pm Friday Jigsaw Pre-School (for 3-5 year olds) 9.15am 3.15pm Ghar Se Ghar Women’s Exercise 9.30am 11.30am Arab Association 7.00pm 9.00pm Early Learners 10.00am 12.00 noon Oshwal Association 1.00pm 4.00pm Library 3.30pm 6.00pm Shires Karate Academy 5.30pm 7.30pm Ghar Se Ghar (Women’s Group) 6.30pm 8.30pm MYA 8.00pm 9.00pm Saturday Library 9.30am 1.00pm Sendo Ryu Karate 11.00am 1.00pm
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Bury Park Community Resource Centre Cont….
Day Activity Start Time Finish Time Sunday Shires Karate 11.00am 2.30pm Binni 2.30pm 5.00pm Day of Pentecost 11.00am 1.00pm St Peters Church 2.00pm 5.00pm
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APPENDIX B
ADULT AND COMMUNITY LEARNING PROGRAMME BURY PARK COMMUNITY CENTRE AUTUMN 2007
ESOL - Beginners, men Mon 1 13.00 17-Sep-07 9-Jun-08 31 ESOL - Beginners, mixed Tue 2 18.30 18-Sep-07 10-Jun-08 31 ESOL - Complete Beg Mon/ Fri 1 9.30 17-Sep-07 9-Jun-08 31 ESOL - Driving Theory Wed 3 12.15 19-Sep-07 5-Mar-08 20 ESOL - Improvers, Ladies Fri 5 10.30 21-Sep-07 13-Jun-08 31 ESOL - Improvers, Ladies Thu 4 13.00 20-Sep-07 12-Jun-08 31 ESOL - Intermediate, mixed Wed 3 9.15 19-Sep-07 11-Jun-08 31 ESOL - Level 1-2 mixed Tue 2 18.30 18-Sep-07 10-Jun-08 31 ESOL Upper Intermediate and Childcare Thu 4 9.30 20-Sep-07 12-Jun-08 31 ESOL Foundation W/Th/Fr 3 9.15 19-Sep-07 11-Jun-08 31 ESOL Improvers and Computing, mixed Tue 2 12.00 18-Sep-07 10-Jun-07 31 Improve your English Thu 4 13.00 20-Sep-07 19-Jun-08 31 Improve your maths Mon 1 13.00 17-Sep-07 16-Jun-08 31 Improve your English Tue 2 9.30 18-Sep-07 17-Jun-08 31 Improve your maths Thu 4 9.30 20-Sep-07 19-Jun-08 31 Sewing Dressmaking - Intro Tue 2 13.00 18-Sep-07 27-Nov-07 10 ESOL Intermediate Mixed Mon 1 9.15 17-Sep-07 9-Jun-08 31 ESOL Intermediate Mixed Tue 2 18.30 25-Sep-07 16-Jun-08 31 Improve your English Tutor Support Thu 4 13.00 20-Sep-07 19-Jun-08 31 ESOL/ICT Tue 2 9.30 18-Sep-07 8-Nov-07 31 ESOL/ICT Thu 4 9.30 20-Sep-07 8-Nov-07 31 Crèche Mon 1 AM Ongoing Ongoing N/A Crèche Mon 1 PM Ongoing Ongoing N/A Crèche Wed 3 AM Ongoing Ongoing N/A Crèche Wed 3 PM Ongoing Ongoing N/A Crèche Thu 4 AM Ongoing Ongoing N/A Crèche Thu 4 PM Ongoing Ongoing N/A Crèche Fri 5 AM Ongoing Ongoing N/A
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