Agenda item

Presentation by Burnfoot Community Hub representatives and discussion on relationship with Community Planning Partnership.

6.1    Charles Finnie, Director/Trustee and Chair of the Hub Project Sub Group, and Jan Pringle, Community Hub Project Manager, from Burnfoot Community Futures gave a presentation on the Burnfoot Community Hub.  Burnfoot Community Futures company objectives were to improve the well-being, quality of life, and opportunities of the people of Burnfoot; and for the purpose of general community benefit, to enhance the social, cultural, recreational and educational facilities, environment and economy of Burnfoot.  Since 2007, Burnfoot Community Futures had delivered a range of smaller scale projects such as the Multi-use games area, shop front improvements, and community events.  The Burnfoot Community Hub was to be a community facility which aimed to deliver long term sustainable change, tackling inequalities through the enablement and empowerment of the community and its own resources.  The project would transform a derelict, disused former public house into a sustainable Community Hub - using £2.1m raised by the community – managed by Burnfoot Community Futures, a charitable company limited by guarantee.  The funding package of £2.1m (capital and revenue) had been secured in January 2014 and the building acquired in April 2014.  Full public procurement has been completed in September 2014, with the main contractor commencing on site on 3 November 2014 on a 42 week contract.  There would be a phased completion of the Hub – Community section completed by July 2015; and the Nursery in September 2015.  A 3 year operational Business Plan for 2015 – 2018 had been produced, with a fully funded core staff infrastructure of 5 FTE, with a focus on enterprise and sustainability.  The services to be delivered through the Hub were a community café incorporating soft play; a fully flexible childcare facility (0 – 16); meeting/rental office space x 5; a multi-purpose function room’; and working garden space for cultivation of plants, food and new skills for the local community.  The Hub project outcomes were that the Burnfoot Community felt stronger, more empowered and confident; their environment and future was sustained; the community had increased capacity and opportunity to take up training, employment and volunteering; and that the community was healthier with the inequalities gap reduced.  There were strategic and corporate links through community benefits in procurement; reducing inequalities; progression of CPP’s equality outcomes addressing poverty and employment; the Community Empowerment Bill; early intervention and prevention; and the development of Scotland’s Young Workforce (Wood Commission).  Burnfoot Community Futures aimed to work in partnership to deliver operational services, back office support, commissioning of services, delivery of community engagement services and provide opportunities for joint project development.  The next step was a half day workshop between Burnfoot Community Futures and Community Planning partners to progress the relationship.  The aim was to look progressively at what actions could be taken to utilise the assets of the community and co-produce future services based on local need. 

6.2    Members of the Board congratulated Mr Finnie and Ms Pringle on the project and asked a number of specific questions.  Ms Pringle advised that the business plan contained details of proposed activities and how these would be marketed to Burnfoot and the wider Hawick community.  There was no other soft play area in the rest of Hawick and nursery/child care could be open to others in Hawick, although the project was aware of not displacing the latter service from other providers in the town.  It was important to look at sustaining the viability of the Hub in the future, with current consideration of a dementia café and community bakery.  What was important was what would deliver for the Burnfoot community and what that community wanted.  The first 3 years of staff costs had been fully funded, and expectations were form Year 4 the Hub would break even.  The Hub would need to generate enough revenue to cover running costs.  Ms Pringle offered tours of the facility for any of the Partners who wished to see how it was progressing.  The Chairman thanked Mr Finnie and Ms Pringle for their presentation and helpful responses to questions.      

         DECISION

         AGREED that the SBC Communities and Partnership Manager would take forward the work for the half day workshop between Hawick Community Futures and the Community Planning Partnership.