End of an era for Nunsthorpe community centre
A COMMUNITY group is cleaning out the last belongings from its home of nine years – but there's light at the end of the tunnel.
It is the end of an era for Nunsthorpe Together, which will hand over the keys for St Martin's Church Hall, its base since it started as the St Martin's Action Group, back in 2004.
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Pulling together: Volunteers from Nunsthorpe Together are looking for a new owner for their Santa's sleigh. Pictured with it are, from left, Kerry Ashworth, Debbie Hill, Holly Hill, and Paige Hill, two weeks. Picture: Rick Byrne
However, Debbie Hill, who founded the group with husband Steve, has made an agreement with Grange Together to hold some of their activities at their community centre, in Carnforth Crescent.
The new centre will host dance lessons on Saturdays and bingo three evenings a week, so that the people who have formed a bond at the Nunsthorpe centre still have somewhere to go.
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Debbie said: "We've lived and worked here for nine years and you can't simply shut the door on the community.
"I'm saddened at the way things have gone and seeing the hall nearly empty is very upsetting, but there may be a light at the end of the tunnel."
St Martin's Community Action Group was set up in 2004 in St Martin's Church, to provide a hub for residents of the Nunsthorpe estate and helped many turn their lives around.
It was behind the hugely successful, but now defunct, Funhouse project, which received Government praise in 2005, with antisocial behaviour tsar Louise Casey describing those involved as national examples.
However, the project ran into difficulties and, in December 2008, the Funhouse shut its doors for good.
Nunsthorpe Together, as it was known by that point, continued to hold community activities, such as bingo, dance classes and go-karting in the church hall at the back of the property.
But in October last year, the Parochial Church Council (PCC) claimed it was owed £140,000 in unpaid rent and maintenance costs for the use of the hall.
The group, which did not have enough funds to pay the costs, had no choice but to leave and are now moving – and discarding – the last of its property.
Mrs Hill, who was employed as the site manager, said: "Clearing this place out is a heartbreaking job.
"All of this stuff has a story and is full of sentimental value, so it is really hard to just throw it in a skip."
But there's one thing Debbie and husband Steve – who is no longer officially a part of Nunsthorpe Together because of health issues – cannot bear to see thrown away.
They are now looking for a home for the life-size Santa's sleigh, complete with reindeer, which has paraded around the Nunsthorpe estate every Christmas Eve since 2004.
Mr Hill said: "This sleigh belongs to the people of the Nunsthorpe, so we need to find someone who can keep this tradition alive.
"Every year, children mob the sleigh and you can see their faces filled with joy – it's so rewarding to see.
"We need to find someone with enough space to give it a home so that it can still make that trip on Christmas Eve."
St Martin's Church was unavailable for comment.
If you can give the sleigh a home, contact the Telegraph on 01472 360360 before Wednesday, when the group have to hand back keys to the hall – or it will have to be thrown away.
Bingo classes now take place at the Grange Community Centre, on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, fom 7.30pm.
Dance classes take place, from noon to 2pm, on Saturdays at the same place.
21 Comments
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by regperrin
Sunday, February 03 2013, 7:41PM
“\oh yes one more comment to I driver the wednesday night gamblers addiction night is just another name for a bingo session.... so thats four sessions a week...”
by regperrin
Sunday, February 03 2013, 7:02PM
“For your information i was never part of the previous group and neither am i over 50, but all i will comment on is if the building was so dangerous with bare wires showing, why did the council allow the new group to use the facilities??? before the building was properly made safe??? But i will leave that with you and only time will tell.............”
by l--driver
Sunday, February 03 2013, 5:54PM
“Interesting!! Wednesday GAMBLERS ADDICTION NIGHT **** bingo 3 nights a week?”
by l--driver
Sunday, February 03 2013, 5:49PM
“Who runs the centre please ?that was the question i asked.you say your happy to answer any question but didnt”
by shardewee
Sunday, February 03 2013, 5:43PM
“Come on regperrin
I'm happy to tell you anything you need to know about the centre.
Saying that though you probably know first hand what went on in the building before it got took of them.”
by l--driver
Sunday, February 03 2013, 5:41PM
“Is there a committee for the grange community centre. if so who are they?”
by shardewee
Sunday, February 03 2013, 5:35PM
“regperrin
What furniture is this then? everything in that building is paid for and owned by the community for the community. Instead of griping about the centre why dont you get of your ar*e and come in and use the centre help out a bit.
You live on the estate so why dont you use the centre instead of walking past, I know you know its there as you can see it now from the road as it as got 2 big WELCOME signs on the front of the building now.”
by shardewee
Sunday, February 03 2013, 5:20PM
“regperrin
Can you also ask your friends the previous leaseholders when they are going to pay back the monies that they owe to the pensioners they borrowed.
Its not tens of pounds either in some of the cases its Thousands of pounds they owe to them.”
by shardewee
Sunday, February 03 2013, 5:11PM
“regperrin
We are not involved with the group, we rent the hall out to them to have bingo in. Thats all they get.
We also rent it to them on a Saturday to them so they can do dance lessons.
Dont ever compare us to the previous lease holders of The Grange Community Centre. The previous leaseholders robbed that place for over 7 years. What they did in that building is still having lasting affects on The Community Centre. There are bills outstanding still from when they where running the place as you probably know cos no doubt you where part of their crew.
We the new group have done more in this last year than they ever did in their seven years in the building.
Heres a list of things that are going on in the centre for you.
MONDAY Mo's Auction 6.30pm-10pm
TUESDAY Kids club 4.30pm-6.30pm, Bingo 7pm-9.30pm
WEDNESDAY GAMBLERS ADDICTION GROUP 7.30pm-9.30pm
THURSDAY Kids club 4.30pm-6.30pm,
FRIDAY Bingo 7pm-9.30pm
SATURDAY Dance Group 12pm-2pm
SUNDAY BINGO 7PM-9.30PM.
We rent the building out for private parties, other people who use it for their kids to do dancing on a Thursday evening, We also rent it out to Shorline for Neighbourhood meetings, Havelock housing have also rented the building out, The South Ward Partnership also rent the building out. We have asked our local councillors if they want to use the building to hold local councillor surgeries but i'm afraid to say none of our councillors have taken up the offer.
We have tried to get an over 50s club for people like you regperrin but the way they were treated by the previous lease holders they wont entertain coming into the building. There as been a lot of things that have gone on in The Community Centre with the previous leaseholders.
regperrin maybe you could go and ask the previous leaseholders where all the funding and money that went through the building disappeared to. You can also ask them why they burnt there books so no evidence could be found of what they where getting up to. You can also ask them why they Bankrupted the building and had it repossessed by the crown, The council dont even own the building at the minute because of what they did, They the council only look after it for the crown.
So regperrin there is a lot of things that have gone on that we are trying to rectify.
Did you also know that the building was condemned and was unsafe to use under the previous leaseholders stewardship, but they where happy to let people use it un-insured and with bare live wires showing, but because of us and our hard work the building is now in a safe condition for everyone.”
by regperrin
Sunday, February 03 2013, 4:47PM
“Well the furniture from the church hall has been transported to the grange community centre via mini busses, when will the council open their eyes and realise what is happening here, because surely the furniture is the property of the church, or am i on a different planet to others????”