Aviva Community Fund has provided £1,056 of match funding
A Community Eco-Hub for Whitley Bay
Whitley Bay, England, United Kingdom
Aim
We hope to refurbish the former Job Centre Building in Whitley Bay into a thriving and low carbon 'Community Eco-Hub'.
Whitley Bay Big Local moved into the former Job Centre Building at 158 Whitley Road in May 2019. We bought the building in 2021 and we now plan to refurbish it to create a sustainable hub for people to come together, take part in activities and support their local area. After the refurbishment we hope to have a 'Near Zero Emmissions Building', with solar panels and renewable heat infrastructure and will provide information and resources to encourage community users to be more environmentally sustainable. Due to the impact of inflation, our plans are now just out of reach and we need to fundraise to help us create a sustainable space for all the community to use.
From 'former Job Centre Building' to 'Community Eco-Hub, we need your support to help make it happen
Whitley Bay Big Local is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation established in 2017 and active in Whitley Bay as the Big Local project since 2014. The primary area of benefit is a disadvantaged community in Whitley Bay, that has often missed out on funding and support due to the perception of Whitley Bay as an affluent area. The Big Local programme aims to offer opportunities for local residents to make decisions for themselves about their local areas.
All of the projects delivered by Whitley Bay Big Local are designed to bring people together from different walks of life and help people to gain an understanding and empathy for people in different circumstances to their own. Activities are targeted at people who are homeless experienced, lonely/isolated, have poor mental health or are older/isolated. Activities are delivered by Whitley Bay Big Local or in partnership with other charities and providers. The hub is central to our engagement activities and as society continues to recover from COVID it is really important to have an affordable, accessible and sustainable space for all local people to use.
The ground floor of the building will offer an open plan commnunity kitchen/cafe. It will provide direct access to an existing community garden, which will be retained as a 'space for nature' encouraging birds and bees to visit and children and families to learn from nature. There will be ample storage for bikes and workshop facilities for cycle maintenance and a repair cafe.
The first floor will continue to be a dedicated arts/creativity space, with the development of studios, creative spaces and open plan arts spaces.
The second floor will provide a range of rooms, meeting spaces and flexible accommodation for community usage. It will also provide access to a second floor 'wintergarden' which will provide an amazing space to grow and enjoy an informal meeting in a unique surrounding.
Throughout, the building will be designed with sustainability in mind. Materials will be chosen that have the lowest footprint, including where possible, reusing and recycling. We will insulate and ventilate the spaces to ensure they are warm, comfortable and safe for everyone to use for generation to come.
Funding from this Crowdfunder appeal will primarily be used towards the ground floor community kitchen/cafe space. This space will be used by all of the community, with activities including toddler groups, cooking sessions, nature clubs, community meet-ups and more. As the
Due ot the nature of the world economy and the very real impact of inflation, we now have a significant deficit against the total cost of the project. Any amount at all that you can spare would be hugeyly appreciated.
This project successfully funded on 20th September 2022