Main Council Working Groups
This month we are continuing our deep dive into the main council working groups (WG), and looking at the Youth Hall working group.
Lytchett Matravers Youth Hall WG
The goal of the Lytchett Matravers Youth Hall working group is to regenerate the old Youth Hall building and create a vibrant multi-purpose public community space that provides additional resources and capacity to the existing options within the village.
A key difference for the Youth Hall will be the dedicated Youth focus, which is written into the existing covenant on the building and will be central to the development of the new facilities.
LMPC own the Youth Hall (LMYH) building and it sits on land leased from DC until December 19, 2056, but we are in discussion with DC regarding the transfer of that land to LMPC. This was initially approved by DCC on December 6, 2017 but the new DC administration requires the application to be resubmitted.
Up to now we have been focusing on making the building water tight. We have installed new windows and will shortly be fitting the new front door and fire door too.
The next stage is to do some urgent repairs that are needed to be able to open the doors again. The current job list includes doing a very simple make-over of the WCs and kitchen. But we would also like to make a few simple internal adjustments to improve access. This includes increasing the size of the internal doors and refitting one of the WCs to ensure proper disabled access, etc. In the kitchen we will be installing a fridge, which has been donated, and are on the hunt for a new cooker & hob together with a professional espresso machine, like they have in Starbucks, etc. If anyone knows of someone who might be in a position to donate one, that would be great 🙂.
We will also need the help of some volunteer painters to get a couple of coats of new white paint on the walls to freshen it up. Please get in touch if you are available at all and could help out this month.
Once this is done, we will be looking to open up and make the Youth Hall available for booking on a similar basis to the Village Hall, with morning, afternoon and evening sessions. The difference will be the constant presence of the pool tables and sofas, but there is still plenty of room for the two big table tennis tables to be put out if you fancy organising that.
It is planned that this space will provide a ‘warm-space’ and ‘community café’, two mornings a week, offering an informal place where people can stop by for a chat, coffee or lunch. We are not sure of the demand for this, but it seems like an important community initiative that may address potential issues of isolation as we continue to struggle with the cost of living and the ongoing problems public transport connections for the village. Alongside this, we will of course be looking to get the Youth Club going at least two nights a week.
However our plans don’t stop there.
We are applying for big infrastructure grants to be able to upgrade the building substantially. A smaller grant will allow us to reclad the building and modernise it internally. A larger grant would allow us to actually rebuild the premises to offer a more modern, environmentally friendly space that will serve the community well into the future.
Would you like to join the LMYH management team?
The council are getting this started but it needs a dedicated group to take on the day to day running of the building once it is operational. Volunteers need to have a passion to see the building be brought back to life for youth-focused and other activities. Volunteering might mean a once a quarter committee meeting and helping with grant applications. Alternatively, you might like to get involved with the youth club and do two or three nights a month to assist the youth leader. There are lots of opportunities.
Do you want to run a new group?
The LM Youth Hall facilities offer a large open space. If you would like to start up a film night, run a silent disco, set up a new baby & toddler session, run a series of art classes, play table tennis regularly, etc., we would love to hear from you.
If you have any questions about the Youth Hall project please contact the Parish Clerk
September meetings
The Parish Council meetings will be on Wednesday 13th and 27th September at 7pm in the Blanchard Room of the Village Hall. The 13th September will include an ‘Extraordinary meeting of the Full Council’.
Agendas and meeting minutes are available online and can be sent to you automatically if you register for our emails and newsletter on the LMPC website. Remember, if you would like a copy the report pack, please email the Parish Clerk who will send them through to you.