Island Choice Project

Statement of Requirements –

Redevelopment of St. John’s Community Centre

INTRODUCTION

 

1.   Reason for Redevelopment. The St. John’s Community Centre is not in receipt of support from the local authority and that it is necessary to radically review it’s structure and function as a community asset. A search for funding for the centre has taken place, including the application for SRB funding for a training based at the centre, by the Island Choice Project. It has been agreed, by the committee of the St John’s Community Centre that the redevelopment of the centre site should be considered and that all interested groups should be involved in determining the centre’s future.

  

2.   The Island Choice Project had previously made an application for SRB funding to the Isle of Dogs Community Foundation. The Project was sponsored and supported by the Association of Island Communities. The Island Choice Project had been set up as a Limited Company and that an application had been made for charitable status. The SRB application had been turned down because the redevelopment costs for the centre, where the training would take place, were too great for an SRB bid. It was necessary to look for alternative methods of funding the rebuilding, or refurbishment, of the centre so that training grants can then be applied for. The centre site could be redeveloped to include training facilities; meeting facilities for all local groups; small business units as well as apartments for key staff such as teachers and nurses. The commercial and residential units could finance the community aspects of the centre.

  

  1. Purpose of this paper.  At the October project meeting. Frank Vickery, East Thames Housing Trust, advised that it was necessary to develop a business plan. As a multipurpose building was proposed, it would be important that the number of units in the building should be miminised. The way to do this would be for each activity and function intended for the building should be set out and agreed in detail. With that information specialists within his organisation could both estimate the cost of building and also estimate the proportion of which would be required for housing in order to create sufficient income to finance community activities. The purpose of this paper is to document the requirements of all community groups which would be major users of the centre.

REQUIREMENTS

  1. The following is a summary of requirements of the main users of the proposed centre. No attempt has been made to the specify size of the accommodation to enable the designers to suggest facilities based on use.

  

St. John’s Community Association.

  1. The St. John’s Community Association has, in the past, administered the present St. John’s Community Centre for both its own use and that of other local groups. The present centre facilities have been used to provide weekly entertainment evenings, line-dancing classes, quiz nights etc. The centre has also been used for meetings of local groups and organisations such as the British Legion, Leaseholders Association, Association of Island Communities. It is considered that a new centre could provide enhanced facilities for the community. For the purpose of this paper it is assumed that the Community Association will administer the new facility even though this may done by another body once the facilities are available.

  1. Facilities Required.

   

    1. Community Hall. A hall capable of accommodating dances and large meetings of approximately 250 people. It should have a stage with curtains and lighting equipment capable of accommodating a small play or band. Access to the stage should be possible away from the audience. It would also be useful if storage facilities could be provided under the stage.

 

    1. Dressing Rooms. Dressing rooms for artists appearing on stage. Two rooms, with access from the rear of the stage with toilet and washing facilities.

 

    1. Smaller Meeting Room. A room, to seat approximately 30 people, for small local groups to meet or hold committee meetings.

 

    1. Bar. Bar for the sale of drinks with direct access to the Community Hall and Smaller Meeting Room. The bar should be secure and have incorporated in it storage for bar stocks and separate external access for bar stock deliveries.

 

    1. Kitchen. A kitchen suitable for the production of meals for the elderly and snacks and light refreshments for other functions in the Community Hall and Meeting Room. If the communal entrance hall was large enough for a small café area, a serving hatch, with access to that area would be useful.

 

    1. Store Rooms. Store rooms, or secure storage areas, for equipment used by groups using the Community Hall or Smaller Meeting Room on  a regular basis.

 

    1. Toilets. Sufficient male and female toilets for events in the Community Hall.

 

 

St. John’s Bengali Association.

 

  1. The St. John’s Bengali Association is a welfare organisation which provides facilities for prayer, education and a meeting place for senior citizens. At present they use housing department premises which the Association is being required to hand back to for use as housing. Because of their religious requirements, it is necessary for their facilities to be separate from the main facilities of the centre. Access would be required at all times, day and night, preferably using a dedicated entrance.

 

  1. Facilities Required.

 

    1. Main Hall. A hall capable of accommodating up to 200 people for prayer five time daily. This hall could also be used for education classes and as a Bengali meeting place for the elderly.

 

    1. Toilets. Separate toilet facilities for men and women incorporating particular religious requirements.

 

    1. Office. An office suitable for accommodating two desks, filing cabinets and other office machinery.

 

    1. Kitchen. A kitchen suitable for the production of meals for the elderly and snacks and light refreshments for other functions in the main hall.

 

    1. Storage. A store room suitable of holding books and equipment required for the Association’s activities.

 

Island Choice Project – Training.

 

  1. The Island Choice Project intends to use the centre for computer training. It is hoped to provide two courses at any one time in a pleasant, well equipped learning environment. Access to the Project’s facilities may be via the normal community facilities.

 

  1. Facilities Required.

 

    1. Teaching Rooms. Two classrooms are required each capable of holding 12 students sat at computer terminals with a tutor, who also requires a terminal, and educational display aids. Both rooms would need to be secure because of the expensive equipment they would contain.

 

    1. Office. An office suitable for accommodating two desks, filing cabinets and other office machinery

 

    1. Storage. A secure store room suitable of holding books and equipment required for the Project’s activities

 

    1. Toilets. Access to toilets.

 

    1. Kitchen. Access to a  kitchen suitable for the production of light refreshments. This could be a shared facility with the main community functions.

 

Key Worker Accommodation.

 

  1. The provision of key worker accommodation is one method of financing the community facilities. It is, however, also a considered to be a requirement that as part of the scheme the provision of flats and apartments for teachers, nurses or other key members of the wider community should be included either as part of the centre complex or off-site possibly as part of the existing library.

 

Ideas Store.

 

  1. It has been suggested that, in view of Asda pulling out of negotiations with the London Borough of Tower Hamlets  regarding the inclusion of an Ideas Store as part of its premises, the Ideas Store could be built as part of the community centre. The community centre site is adjacent to the Asda store and next to the Health Centre. This could be an ideal location for the Ideas Store. If so, the requirements of the store would need to be included.

 

FURTHER ACTION

 

  1. This is a working paper and therefore may undergo a number of iterations prior to forming a detailed requirement specification for the proposed centre on which detailed costings can be based. Amendments and additions should be notified to Ron Coverson.

 

 

Ron Coverson

Secretary

Island Choice Project

27th November 2000

 

Version 2.0

 

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