Joseph Casson help local trust create space for young people.

Dear Joe,

Please find attached our end of project report.  Thank you again for your generous support to the project.  It came at a time when we weren't sure if it could go ahead and it made all the difference.

Best wishes,

Peter

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      Wembdon Village Hall and Playing Fields Trust

Wembdon Community Youth Project – End of Project Report – March 2023

The project was to convert a room on the first floor of the village hall which had been left as an empty shell when the contractor building the hall went bankrupt. The start of the project was delayed by Covid issues and the national shortage of building materials but work eventually started in May 2021.

Before work started

We employed local contractors to install the lift, underfloor heating, ceiling, aircon, fire alarm and sound system but we were hugely fortunate to have volunteers to do everything else at no labour cost.  The director of a local engineering company volunteered to manage the project and much of the work was done by people from the local community including students from our local college.  We were also helped by Volunteer It Yourself which is an organisation which arranges for young people to gain work experience and qualifications in the construction industry under the supervision of qualified tradespeople.  The VIY students and their mentors contributed many hours of skilled labour.  We were indebted to a local electrical company whose owner donated his staff time to do our wiring.  Local businesses also donated materials to the project.

The Trust is most grateful to 13 sponsors without whose grants this project would not have happened.  They include Sedgemoor District Council, the SUEZ Communities Fund, the Somerset Community Foundation, Joseph Casson Estate Agents, Toolstation, the Wesleyan Foundation, The Elmgrant Trust, Tesco Community Grants, the Avon & Somerset Police Community Trust and the Garfield Weston Foundation.  Other grant givers wished to remain anonymous.

The total of grants received was £121,656 and we have spent exactly this amount on the project.  We also received financial support from the Village Hall trustees.

The finished room set up for a community meeting

The original target date for finishing the project was May 2022 so we were pleased to be able to use the room for our first event in June, only 1 month later.  It has been in constant use since then although it has taken until now for all of the ‘finishing touches’ to the construction to be completed.

We are delighted to say that Youth Unlimited, a not-for-profit Community Interest Company which specialises in working with young people is running youth sessions on weekday evenings in our room and will also train more volunteer supervisors.  The youth sessions are known as ‘Space@TheGreen’.  The youth workers provide different structured activities each week which are selected in consultation with the young people as well as giving them a chance to ’chill out’ and play games with their friends.  There have also been opportunities for the youth workers to counsel and signpost a few of the youngsters from troubled and deprived backgrounds who have been having personal problems.  The youth sessions have been very popular, to the extent that we have had to introduce an on-line booking system because more young people were turning up than the youth workers could safely manage.

Set up for Space@TheGreen

During the day there are a host of community activities.  We have regular bookings from dance groups, Slimming World and sessions for children and adults with learning disabilities.  Afternoon Tea at the Green is very popular and there are parties, wakes and other social events.

We feel privileged and fortunate to have such a wonderful community space.

Thank you all.