Pickering Community Groups Fight Sale of Community Centre

Community groups in Pickering are fighting to save a community centre after it was put up for sale.

The Hungate Centre was built in 1967 with donations from local people, it was then given to the Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS at the time) to operate.

Earlier this year the RVS announced it's intention to sell the building and last week it went on the market priced at £155,000.

Now, members of local community groups have banded together to either try and raise the cash to buy the building for the town, or to persuade RVS to donate it to them.

Neil Hannah from the group says the RVS first announced they wanted to sell the building back in January

A six-month halt was brought to the move to sell the building when campaigners registered the property as an Asset of Community Value (AVC) to give the community a chance to retain the Hungate Centre. That AVC expires in January.

Ruth Hannah, along with husband Neil, runs the community group Musical Memories which helps people living with dementia.

Ruth said..

“As the centre was given by local people to what is now the RVS and the charity no longer wants the property it is only right that the premises should be returned to the community.

“The building is needed by centre users - including the members of a luncheon club for older people - who were thrown out when the RVS decided to lock the place up,”

Over the years the modest property put up in the sixties has provided a base for everyone from craft groups to exercise classes, singers to slimmers and from jumble sales to dancing to 1940s swing music.

Neil Says the building was being well used before lockdown

Volunteers say they have been told by the RVS that the charity is obliged to sell the centre for a commercial rate – which campaigners dispute - now time bought by AVC rules to negotiate a deal, is quickly running out.

The group, which is leading the fight to save the hub, put up a banner on the railings outside the Hungate Centre to draw attention to their 38 degrees online petition which has over 1,000 signatures.

Musical Memories and many other local people wrote to the RVS Board, some even writing to HM The Queen (RVS patron) and the Duchess of Cornwall (RVS President).

Ruth added

“All that’s happened since they closed the doors on local people in March 2020 is that the RVS has refused to allow us access to assess the condition of the property or obtain an independent valuation,”

“We are calling on the RVS to talk to us and give us the time to raise the money to buy the building – even though by rights it should belong to the community that paid for it in the first place,”

All of us believed that the centre was in the safe hands of one of Britain’s biggest national charities, but we are seeing the property being allowed to slip straight through their fingers.

“Our trust is being abused,” said Ruth. “The folk of Pickering are just being dismissed and treated with a truly remarkable level of disrespect during a time of national distress.

“Pickering needs a miracle to retain the Hungate Centre. We need a change of position from the RVS. It’s time they started to behave like a charity, not like a business out to make a fast buck.”

Campaigners say Pickering Town Council has agreed to set up a working party on the Hungate Centre and invite community groups to take part. They say it will look at assisting with gaining an independent valuation of the building and supporting moves to pull together a business case for saving the centre for the community.

This is the Coast contacted the RVS for comment on the reasons for the sale and the suggestion of gifting the centre back to the community.

Rebecca Kennelly, MBE, Director of Volunteering for Royal Voluntary Service said:

“The decision to close the Pickering Centre is not one that was made lightly or easily by Royal Voluntary Service. 

We care a great deal about the local community but the Centre was costing a considerable amount to run each year and as a charity, we need to ensure that our resources are distributed in a way that creates the greatest positive impact and supports the greatest number of people countrywide. 

Following the decision to close, we have been in dialogue with centre users, external hirers and North Yorkshire County Council and will continue to work with local community organisations to explore their ability to raise funds to purchase the building.

As the Centre is a community asset, we are following Government guidance on the sale of the property and keeping the community groups who have registered their interest regularly updated.”