• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Application for Enabling Development on land at Lodge Hill Centre, Watersfield, Pulborough, West Sussex RH20 1LZ January 2021 1. History of Lodge Hill Trust The main building at Lodge Hill was built around 1878 and since that time has been used as a private house and hotel as well as being requisitioned by West Sussex County Council in 1939 for use as the headquarters of the mobile A.R.P. Reserve until 1945. In 1946 the house and 32 acres of surrounding land were purchased by the West Sussex County Council to provide a venue for education opportunities especially for young people, thus fulfilling the Council’s obligations under the 1945 Education Act. The Centre was named “The Lodge Hill Residential Centre” and remained under West Sussex County Council ownership until the late 1990’s. The County Council was due to close the facility and dispose of the site when Penny Hardwick OBE set about establishing a charity and succeeded in raising the necessary funds within a short period of time to save it for the future of young people across the county. In March 1999 the newly formed Lodge Hill Charitable Trust purchased a 125-year lease of the Centre from the West Sussex County Council and in September 2005, West Sussex County Council sold the freehold of the Centre to the Lodge Hill Trust. 2. Lodge Hill Trust’s Charitable Objectives and the Public Benefits arising from it Lodge Hill Trust is a company limited by guarantee and a not for profit registered charity. The specific objects of Lodge Hill as set out in its Memorandum and Articles of Association are: 1. “ The advancement of the education of children and young people (primarily those resident in the county of West Sussex) by helping them so to develop their mental, physical and spiritual capacities that they may grow to full maturity as individuals and members of society and that their conditions of life may be improved and ……… 2. The provision of facilities for the further education of adults (primarily in the County of West Sussex) and in the furtherance of this object the Company shall during such period as it determines maintain a residential centre at Lodge Hill, Watersfield, Pulborough for courses meetings lectures classes and leisure-time occupation for the benefit of young persons and adults engaged in furthering their education.” 1 As with all charities Lodge Hill has a public benefit requirement (Charity Act 2011 s.4). Lodge Hill qualifies under several of the headings under the Charity Act 2011 section 3.1 namely: 3.1 (b) the advancement of education (e) the advancement of citizenship or community development (i) the advancement of environmental protection or improvement (j) the relief of those in need because of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage. In addition the Charity Commission has set out two key principles of public benefit. The two key principles and how Lodge hill meets them are as follows: Identifiable benefits related to the objects of the Trust are as follows: 1. Provision of Facilities The 32 acre site at Lodge Hill includes a campsite and residential facilities within the main building, cottage and two Woodland Lodges, extensive outdoor activities, orienteering courses, meeting hall and conference facilities for use by the residents and members of the local rural community. 2. Giving an Education Lodge Hill’s employees include activity instructors who are highly trained in the use of all the facilities at the site enabling all young people to be educated in their operation. The instructors are not only able to teach users how to achieve personal targets but also very importantly how to achieve those targets as a part of a group or team. Lodge Hill has achieved accreditation with “Learning Outside the Classroom”, Adventure Activities Licencing Authority, Adventure Mark and the British Activity Providers Association 3. Preserving the Environment Lodge Hill’s 32 acre site is mainly woodland which is maintained by Lodge Hill’s employees and volunteers for the benefit of all users generally, but also specifically allowing school groups to fulfil educational requirements arising from the national curriculum requirements. The benefit for the public can be illustrated as follows: 1. Young People In the year ended 31st December 2017 there were approximately 29,000 users from groups/businesses/schools (mainly young people) who visited Lodge Hill. Of those 71% were from West Sussex who used the facilities with the benefit of a subsidy from the Trust. 2 2. Outdoor Activities Outdoor activities are a large part of the Trust’s business with instructors working either full or part time. In 2017 young people and adults participated in over 2800 activity sessions. 3. ChallengeU and Disabled Groups The Trust is proud of its work with young offenders and young people who are disengaged with society or education. The Trust has made it a particular priority to ensure that the Centre’s facilities are available for disabled users. Our work in this regard has been recognised by the “Go Easy Improving Access Awards” in conjunction with Chichester District Council. We have also made progress with WSCC & Short Breaks to gain contract funding for disabled activity days. Lodge Hill is registered with WSCC as a Preferred Provider of services to families with a disabled child 3. Lodge Hill Today Penny Hardwick, OBE remained as President of the Charity until her recent passing in April 2018. Sir Brian Barttelot, who helped Penny raise the funds to save Lodge Hill in the late 1990’s, has now kindly taken over from Penny as President Lodge Hill is now a 32 acre outdoor Activity and Education Centre set within the heart of the South Downs National Park providing educational day and residential breaks for schools and groups from all backgrounds, of all ages and all abilities from across the county and beyond. The charity has worked tirelessly over recent years to make its outstanding woodland site as accessible as possible; enabling it to welcome groups of children and adults of all abilities to participate in its extensive activities and enjoy being able to access its grounds. The facilities include a main residential, a campsite, two woodland lodges, a conference and meeting centre (the Bradbury Hall), a recently added refurbished cottage and extensive outdoor activities for all. Lodge Hill is unique in the county in that it is the only centre that can offer such facilities and as a result experiences a strong demand. There are roads on two sides of the site and no public footpath or access making it a particularly safe site for those with mental health concerns, anxiety or learning disabilities, including autism due to the low sensory environment it enjoys. Lodge Hill regularly welcomes older people to its site who participate in memory walks with carers and some enjoy its exciting activities as an alternative to those often provided within care settings. Groups who typically use Lodge Hill include: Children and young people from schools and colleges as part of their Educational need and Learning Outside the Classroom curriculum residential stay and outdoor educational activities Young offenders who attend our Challenge U Programme, to volunteer, participate in 1:1 support and for activity sessions 3 Those who have disengaged with education and/or society to attend our Challenge U programme and/or participate in 1:1 support and/or work experience Lodge Hill runs its own model ChallengeU Programme for young people who have offended, are at risk of offending or who have disengaged with society and/or education. Lodge Hill’s new model was launched in 2014. After assessment it brings young people aged 13 – 18 to Lodge Hill to participate in a 6 day intensive programme of personal development when they are taken out of their comfort zones and into an arena of personal learning and development. Lodge Hill Instructors then take them on a climbing expedition to Wales to further their skills. The difference this programme has made to young people from West Sussex has been immeasurable with many now enjoying their lives with new skills and opportunities to take them into adulthood as fully participating members of their community. Disabled children, young people and adults on family days, for activity sessions, residential stays, independent living skills training, work experience, respite care (accompanied by carers) As well as the increase in school visits, not only in number but group size, we have seen a huge increase in the diversity of our visitors. We now regularly welcome older people, young offenders, disabled children and adults, team building groups and those seeking a central West Sussex venue to hold conferences, meetings and training. Two years ago we were successful at tender to be registered as a preferred provider with the West Sussex County Council Special Educational Needs and Disability Short Breaks team via their Dynamic Purchasing System and are now in contract to deliver Family Activity Days to families from West Sussex with a child or young person with a disability. These families are very often unable to attend generic events due to the additional needs of their family member and therefore, what Lodge Hill offers is very often their only family experience all together. The growth in attendance on these days at Lodge Hill has been immense with regular attendance of 150 participants. Charity groups – for example Arundel Cricket Foundation brings a large group of young people each year from deprived areas of inner London to enjoy the Sussex countryside and learn to play cricket away from their usual chaotic lives. Most of these young people experience the countryside for the first time during these visits to Lodge Hill Lodge Hill has proved itself to be a highly effective, valued and necessary facility.

Load more

  13

Copy Link