Agenda item

The Chair provided the Committee with a verbal update regarding the Community Centre Review. The task and finish group had undertaken a tour of all fifteen community centres on 7^th and 8^th February and all centres had been asked to complete a questionnaire from the group. The task and finish group were well received at the centres and provided assurance that centres would not be closed. Some management committees were aware that there would not be closures, but others were not. The task and finish group would meet in the next few weeks to discuss the findings from the tour.

Task and finish group members felt the tour had been a worthwhile exercise, with a lot of information collected from the centres and the centres also appreciated the investment in time by Members to undertake the tour. The diversity within the centres was noted; they were diverse in such areas as the facilities they offered, their constitutions and the management structures that were in place. Some community centres were working very well, with one having bookings into 2014, with others needing a helping hand. Members noted how much effort the people running the centres were putting into what they were doing and were impressed with the individuals who gave their time. There were Members of the Committee who sat on community centre management committees who advised that there were no concerns amongst their management committees with regard to the task and finish group tour.

Members not on the task and finish group were of the opinion that there was a need for community centres to diversify and questioned whether there were any examples of best practice nationally which could be used. This was considered a good point by the Chair and would be referred back to the task and finish group. One possibility was that a guide could be produced of how to run a community centre for new management committees, as currently new management committees were left to hit the ground running. A new energy rate for Newcastle Borough Council had been negotiated, but the community centres were not included in this, which was another area that could be included in best practice.

Members of the task and finish group informed the Committee of their concern at visiting one centre and realising that six burners on a gas stove were lit to try and warm the kitchen. There were no health and safety signs up in most of the centres and a lack of burglar alarms, but the centres had had their electricity check. Members noted that a lot of centres had installed burglar alarms themselves, and it was noted that for the centres without alarms, insurance premiums would be being paid for no benefit if there was not an alarm.

The questionnaire that had been distributed to the community centres prior to the tour and the timetable for the task and finish group tour were distributed to the Committee for their consideration.

RESOLVED:                        That the minutes of the meeting held on 24 September 2012 be agreed as a correct record.