Centre to create a youth club
Plans are being drawn up for the creation of a youth club at the new centre. If you are a parent of a young person that would be interested in attending a youth club, we need to hear from you !
We need to work out what age groups the youth club should serve, so we really need to know the age of your youngster. We dont need to know their names or any other information at this stage, we just need their age.
If your youngster would be interested, you can download a leaflet here TotteridgeYouthClub.doc
or you can register your youngster(s) age by completing the details below and clicking submit.
If you would be intersted in getting involved in the running of the youth club, and have time to spend helping us, please get in touch using our contact us page above.
Thank you for your interest, and stay tuned for more updates...
Totteridge members club opens doors with £49,500 refit
1:26pm Saturday 28th February 2009
MEMBERS of a High Wycombe social club today voted to open their club to the whole community and undertake a £49,500 renovation. The Totteridge and District and Social Club was formed following the Second World War as a private members club, and it has occupied its current building in Totteridge Drive since 1975. However, membership has declined over the years and today the society voted 52 to one to allow the entire community to use the club's facilities. It will be renamed the Totteridge and District Community Centre and will be operated as a charity under the leadership of a panel of trustees.
Speaking to a packed room at the club today, trustee Kevin Jones said: “I think the private members club failed in the sense that the place had lost all its members.
“It's been going for such a long time it seems fitting that it's going to survive in some form.”
The £49,500 will come from Wycombe District Council. This will go towards a new bar, kitchen, reception area, office, toilets and cloakrooms, boiler and big doors to allow easy escape in the event of a fire. When it is finished the community centre will be available for events such as bingo nights, jumble sales, martial arts practice and scout nights. Trustees plan to hire the hall out for functions to raise extra money.
Despite the grant, trustee and treasurer Martin Ashton said that fund raising was still a priority to develop the hall: “We've got some money in the bank but, guys and girls, we need some more please.”
The trustees also hope to get some new furniture and set up computers with internet access. However, Mr Jones said the plans were still “up for debate” and community input was welcome.
Totteridge residents will be able to become “members” of the community centre by paying a £1 donation. This will give them a say in the way the centre is run. The first contractors will conduct an examination of the site on Monday. It is hoped the renovation will be finished in the Autumn.
AGM just around the corner... The AGM is fast approaching, and initial signs are that most of the members are planning to attend. Don't forget, we're also holding an open meeting, so you dont have to be a member to come along to find out what the future holds for the centre - the more the better. All slides from the AGM presentations will be available on the website for members who couldnt attend to have a look at immediately after the AGM.
Post a question ahead of the AGM : If you have a specific question you'd like to ask, or a point you would like to raise, simply use the contact us page here
Reminder for Members : Please bring your ballot papers with you to the AGM
AGM & Public meeting:
The Date for the AGM has now been set. The AGM will be held on Saturday 28th February 2009, starting at 11 am at the social club. Members will be recieving formal invitations through the post in the coming week. We are also holding a general public meeting open to all, and anyone wishing to come along and here about the future plans are welcome - just come along at 11 am on Saturday 28th.
Make me an offer sale - there will be a "make me an offer" sale at the centre on the weekend of 14th / 15th February. We have various items that have been donated to us by members and residents of the area, and we need to clear the hall now ready to start renovation work. Pop in anytime between 10am and 2pm on Saturday and Sunday. All money collected will go towards renovations and on-going costs.
ADVANCED NOTICE: The Club AGM is due, and is currently being planned for end of January 2009. All current members will recieve a formal invitation in the new year. We recommed that all members attend the AGM if they are able to - as we hope we will be in a position to provide details of the renovation plans. Although, formal business will be restricted to members, we would welcome any non-members who wish to pop in a see the plans for the centres renovation.
Sweet Shop Quiz update - The sweet shop quiz was a great success, raising over £200 for the ongoing running of the centre. Thank you to everyone who entered. There were just over 60 completely correct returns, out of more than 250 entries. The winner chosen out of the hat was Miss S Wilkes. Correct answers will be posted on the website in due course.
BBQ Update - The August members BBQ raised a further £247 for the ongoing costs of keeping the club ticking over whilst we resolve the oustanding issues before the council funding is granted. Stay tuned for a more detailed update coming in November.
A new entrance - update (2nd July 2008)
The probation service have now completed their work on the new entrance to the centre. Next time your passing have a look at the new entrance and veranda. This completes the NPS time working with us for the time being, once we can start the renovation work inside the club we will be inviting them back. Look out for pictures on the work to come...
A new entrance (18th June 2008 )
The probation service have completed their work on the new fence and gates, and the site is beginning to look much nicer, and the gates allow us to close off the site over night to cars. The gates will open at around 7am each morning, and close at around 9pm in the evening. The pedestrian gate is always unlocked should anyone need to dispose of anything in the recycling bins. The NPS are now starting work on the existing entrance ramp, and making a new entrance way....
Looking after the club..
There has been some damage done to the security lights at the club, 2 of the lights were smashed, and 1 was broken beyond repair. The light has been replaced, but in the interests of protecting the building, and in conjunction with the NPS, a new fence and set of gates will be errected in the coming weeks. The gates can then be closed over night to stop unwanted vehicles parking in the centre, whilst being open during the day for access to the recycling bins. This will be paid for out of the donation made to the charity from the Thames Valley Partnership, and you may have already noticed that the probation service have been doing some gardening. The NPS will be in and out of the club doing various maintence tasks, and people are welcome to stop in and say hello.
NPS Start work
The NPS will be starting there work on the centre on Sunday 27th April 2008. This is great news for us, they are helping us to renovate the centre. They will be working on site every Wednesday and Sunday moving forward - and it would be great if we all pop in from time to time to help out and show our support !
The Thames Valley Partnership has granted the centre £500 to assist the buying of materials when we start work on rejuvanating the centre in conjunction with the National Probation service...more details of the TVP can be found at www.thamesvalleypartnership.org
A new website !
www.totteridgecommunitycentre.org is now up and running. If you want to add content to this site, please get in touch by clicking on the Contact Us link above.
On Thursday 28th February Mike Coffey, Scheme Manager for Unpaid Work in Bucks from the national probation service visited the centre. The probation service is a key community resource, and the management working group are in discussion with the NPS to help us renovate the centre. More news on this in the coming weeks. We will need volunteers to be supervisors - full training and support will be given by the probation service. If you would like to volunteer to help out supervising drop us a line using the Contact Us link above.
New committee formed... A new interim working group has been formed to kick start the centres recovery. The new committee met on Thursday 28th February. Minutes of this meeting will be made available in due course, and future meeting minutes will also be posted on this site after each meeting. A number of key developments are now in place, specifically a new company has been formed for the purpose of managing the centre. Totteridge & District community Centre Ltd has been formed, and Martin Ashton FCA has donated his services as appointed accountant for the centre. The intention is to make the new managment company a charitable company in due course.
We want your ideas on how we can all use the centre. If you have a suggestion on how the centre can be used by the community, be it bingo to youth clubs - let us know, use the Contact Us page to send us your ideas...