Vital Regeneration celebrates the first anniversary of their Community Spaces Hub project this month and looks forward to a second year of working closely with the local community.

Only one year in and Vital Regeneration has shown they can deliver an impressive calendar of opportunities and events for the whole community, from seasonal and festive cross cultural celebrations, to sustainable awareness and social change activities.

As part of the Community Spaces Hub initiative, Vital Regeneration is responsible for hiring out quality, affordable facilities to local groups and organisations.  So far, they have supported over 60 Voluntary and Community groups to access the community spaces for their own projects and event delivery, helping to build local networks and community participation. 

Scott Williams, London Ambassador Programme 2012 said after hiring a facility “Excellent, very usable space.  Great facilities to support a multitude of uses with highly supportive and professional staff”.

Since October 2010 Vital Regeneration recorded a footfall of over 13,000 through the doors of The Greenside Community Centre and engaged over 1,200 local people in the Community Hub events.

“Vital Regeneration has been extremely proactive and imaginative in the way they have approached the management of Community Spaces Hub, says Keith Cookson, Community Development Manager, CityWest Homes.

He continues “They have tackled challenges we have faced with an understanding of the issues and a commitment to making things work that has been very reassuring.  The team are very well embedded within the local community and very experienced.  They pay attention to getting the little details right and I know that any solution they propose will be well thought through and will have the interests of the local community at the forefront.  I am really pleased with how well this contract is going”.

Sadia Ur-Rehman, Community Enterprise Manager, who manages all the facilities, said “Since the start of the Community Spaces Hub project we have had women-only exercise classes, tai-chi, yoga, martial arts, parent and toddlers groups, weekly job clubs, after school clubs, based around sustainable and healthy living, and a multitude of community events.  It has been a very busy and rewarding year for the project and we are looking forward to next year being even more activity packed”.

Building on last year’s success, Vital Regeneration is working with local organisations to deliver a series of events and activities before the end of 2011.  These include:

'Get Connected Youth Fair' on Thursday 27th October, 12-4pm at The Greenside Community Centre.  This event is for young people in the Church Street ward of Westminster who want to find out about local youth provision, activities and services in their area.  During the event Vital Regeneration will provide activities, workshops and tasters from local youth providers for young people to sample.  There will be a vibrant line up of performances, DJs, workshops and tasters being co-delivered by some of the Community Spaces Hub partners, (including London Transport Museum, Church St Neighbourhood Centre, North East Locality Young People's Services, Dream Arts, The Showroom and Marylebone Bangladeshi Society).

‘Haunted Halloween Party’ on Friday 28th October, 3-5pm at The Greenside Community Centre.  This event promises lots of ‘spooky’ activities for under 12’s.

To find out more about hiring a Community Spaces Hub facility please email: spacesforhire@vitalregen.org.  (The facilities on offer are; The Greenside Community Centre, Church Street Library Community Space and 1-2-1 Meeting Rooms, Derry Hall and Fisherton Hall).  To find out more about the events and activities we have coming up please call 020 7245 2861 or email vitalinfo@vitalregen.org 

Ends

Notes to Editor:

Vital Regeneration is a registered charity.  For more information about Vital Regeneration please visit www.vitalregeneration.org to view our 2010 Annual report Vital Regeneration 2010 Annual Report (Please follow link).

For press enquiries and images please contact rash@vitalregen.org

Further information about Community Spaces Hub

In 2010 Vital Regeneration was successful in a bid to Westminster City Council to manage a range of community facilities within the Church Street area of Westminster.

Through ‘Community Spaces Hub’ Vital Regeneration facilitates a wide variety of services and activities to benefit the whole community.  By hiring out the facilities we ensure that these community assets are both optimally used and financially sustainable.

Here are just two of the events delivered in the last year.

Spring Carnival

Vital Regeneration organised a Spring Carnival which took place over the half term in February 2011.  The carnival was spread over 5 consecutive days, consisting of 4 days of carnival preparatory workshops and a parade, as well as workshops on making carnival decorations and music.  There was dancing and storytelling and on the final day people paraded down Church Street showcasing their carnival artwork.

The Eid festival

Vital Regeneration’s Community Spaces Hub project marked the end of Ramadan and celebrated with the high number of Muslims living in Church Street ward, by hosting The Eid festival, which attracted over 300 people from different ethnic and religious backgrounds.  Karen Buck, MP for Westminster attended the celebrations and gave a short speech.

For more information on Community Spaces Hub please contact:

Sadia Ur-Rehman

Community Enterprise Manager

Vital Regeneration

The Greenside Community Centre

24 Lilestone Street

London

NW8 8SR

surrehman@vitalregen.org

Tel no: 020 7245 2869

Fax no: 020 7245 2863