Posted by Matthew on Tuesday, 1 June 2010, at 13:06
Help us identify key areas for improvement
Lymm Youth and Community Association are currently conducting a survey about our community and they need your support. Pick up a copy at the centre, local shops or complete the survey online: Lymm Youth Club website.
The association aims to secure the future of Lymm Youth & Community Centre, providing and developing youth and community facilities for the people of Lymm, within the heart of the village centre. Warrington Borough Council refuses to accept that there is enough demand for these facilities and we are sure that this survey will demonstrate the need.
We are keen to ensure our community caters for all and we hope that this survey will help us identify key areas for improvement. We value your thoughts, ideas and suggestions and appreciate you giving us your time and support. Your views will help us make Lymm Youth and Community Centre work for you.
Collect a survey or complete online
Copies will be available at Lymm Youth & Community Centre and a number of local businesses, including Burnetts Premier Stores, Rushgreen Garage and Statham McColls and you can drop your completed survey in at any of these locations. Alternatively, you can complete the survey online.
It should only take a few minutes to complete and your responses could make a massive difference to the future of the centre. If you provide your contact details, we will enter you into our prize draw to win a bottle of bubbly or a box of chocolates.
If you would like to know more, please contact our secretary, Neville Davies on 01925 755757.
Posted by Matthew on Tuesday, 1 June 2010, at 12:40
Senior Social for May
The Senior Socials at Lymm Youth & Community Centre are proving to be popular, with a record attendance at May’s social on Wednesday 19th.
Attendees enjoyed an afternoon of chat, bingo and a challenging quiz devised by Joe Griffiths, featuring images of Lymm and all sorts of other topics from chocolate bars to pensioner’s playgrounds. The refreshments, as always, were delicious, served up by volunteers from Lymm Youth & Community Association.
These free events take place every month, on the third Wednesday, as part of the exciting Bridging the Gap Project for Warrington South Stronger Together Network.
Come along to our next session
The next session takes place on Wednesday 16th June. Come along to the centre from 2-4pm for a great afternoon of entertainment, delicious refreshments and the opportunity to meet others from across Warrington South.
If you are interested in finding out more or need some assistance in getting to the event, please contact Dave Fensom on 01925 753587, who will do his best to help you.
View details on a previous Lymm Youth and Community Centre Social.
Posted by Matthew on Friday, 5 March 2010, at 09:50
Statement from Neville Davies
Following the recent announcement that Lymm Youth Club (and the British Legion) have been revealed to be on the Warrington Borough Council list for potential disposal, Secretary of the Lymm Youth and Community Centre Management Committee, Neville Davies, has issued the following statement:
"Despite the uncertainty added to by the decision of Warrington Borough Council to put a possible "For Sale" notice on our premises, we remain committed to maintaining Youth and Community Facilities on this site at the heart of our village. In meetings with the Borough Councillors elected to represent Lymm, we have indicated our willingness to work with any development proposals to preserve the facility on this site and have been assured of their support for our project, as have the prospective Labour candidates for both Borough and Parliament in the coming elections. We continue to trust that our Councillors will guarantee our facility in the long term future, after all, the building is here and in use. The volunteers are here and running the facility at no cost to the Council. I’m sure the Council will recognise a bargain when they look carefully".
Programme of community activities
"We have a lively and expanding programme of community activities in place already and even more exciting developments planned. In particular, in co-operation with Lymm Rotary Club, Warrington Stronger Together and Su Williams, we are rolling out a stimulating pilot programme, starting on March 17th, for South Warrington called "Bridging the Gap". This will be built around a neighbourhood programme for older, especially isolated, citizens."
"Initially at monthly intervals, events will be organised incorporating a Tea Dance plus other activities with refreshments being made and served by young people. We will be organising an increasing number of other opportunities such as the chance to discuss issues direct with senior police and other public officers. In time we hope to increase these activities with interests such as "armchair aerobics", manicure tasters, hairdressing, chiropodist visits etc as well as hobby opportunities, perhaps even Bingo or Computers. Transport will be arranged for those who need it or who live outside Lymm."
Get in contact
If you know someone who would like an invite or would like to suggest an activity, please contact me, Neville Davies, on 01925 755757.
View more information about Lymm Youth Club
Posted by matthew on Monday, 1 February 2010, at 16:42
Lymm Youth and Community Centre in danger of losing their community facility in the village centre
We hope that we can, by working together, achieve an agreement which will secure long-term youth and community provision at the heart of the village centre
The below information is supplied by Joe Griffiths
"Since the original lease expired, the people of Lymm have been in danger of losing their community facility in the village centre. To try to move progress a meeting was recently arranged with Councillors Barr, Marks and Woodyatt from Warrington Borough Council representing, and elected by, the people of Lymm. Lymm Youth and Community Centre Management Committee prepared a Position Statement which the Councillors were happy to agree with a few minor adjustments as set out below:
History behind the Centre
“In 1966, the Lymm Urban District Council granted a 40 year lease on land it owned in Bridgewater St, to a voluntary management committee led by Sir Oswald Davies, in order that this committee could construct a building for a Youth Centre with money raised by voluntary subscription from the local community, with the intention that renewal of that lease would secure community provision in Lymm for the future. That Youth Centre opened in 1967 and has operated without a break to the present day. It has always welcomed in the wider local community and in recent times it has broadened its title to Lymm Youth and Community Centre.
With local government re-organisation in the 1970s, ownership of the land and the lease on it transferred to Warrington District Council, though provision of Youth Services remained a responsibility of Cheshire County Council and the centre continued to provide a very full 7 day programme for the community. Unfortunately in subsequent years, support for Youth Service provision declined and seems to have been further reduced since Warrington was granted unitary status and Warrington Borough Council assumed responsibility for this provision.
This slow decline seems to have climaxed around the time of the expiry of the original 40 year lease in 2006; and when the Borough Council laid claim to ownership of the building the original committee began to disintegrate and become dysfunctional. People who were involved at that time believe this was due to unreasonable pressure and demands from Warrington BC who they believe had other plans for the site. As a result the lease has yet to be renewed.
New Management Committee
A new management committee is now in place and has extensively renovated the building, ensuring it fully complies with current regulations; and already has initiated an expanding programme of use on every day of the week. This management committee has, at its core, several longstanding residents of Lymm with a history of long involvement in many successful local organisations and who have been involved with activities in the building since its inception. This committee is willing to take over management of the building and ensure the provision of a Youth and Community facility in Lymm which is self-sufficient. However to achieve this, it needs the security of a long lease at a sustainable rent on acceptable terms.
We therefore request that we are offered a new lease, with option to renew, based largely on the terms of the original lease and hope that the general principles of this can be achieved at this meeting. We understand that, while Warrington Borough Council has no firm plans, one of the options being considered for the surrounding area might include a prestigious multi-million pound waterside development. We would have no objection to such a development including a refurbished Youth and Community Centre at its heart, if we can achieve a satisfactory agreement today.
Working together
We hope that we can, by working together, achieve an agreement which will secure long-term youth and community provision at the heart of the village centre; and together be leaders in service provision in the UK. We would be happy to ensure the credit for these exiting developments was appropriately publicly acknowledged.”
The Lymm Youth and Community Centre Management Committee welcome the co-operative response from the Councillors and look forward to positive developments in the future.
Editor’s note: Officers of Warrington Borough Council are currently offering only a one year lease which excludes the Centre from applying for grants and prevents development.
Contact details
For more information please contact Neville Davies on 01925-755757
More information about Lymm Youth and Community Centre.