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Epsom Phab is under threat due to actions being taken around the Linton Centre. 

Background

 

On Friday 16th December we found out that Surrey County Council had plans to sell the ‘long leasehold’ they have at the Linton Centre.  The freehold is held by a development company (Linc Epsom Ltd). The long lease means that even if the owner develops the site – which they are planning to do – they have to provide a Youth club on the site unless they build a new, purpose built centre.  If Surrey County Council sell the Lease back to the development company they do not have to provide a new centre and our club will have nowhere to meet. The decision to sell the lease was to be decided at a meeting of the Cabinet of Surrey County Council on Tuesday 20th December in a private section closed to the public.

 

Obviously we were keen to be represented at the meeting to at least hear what was going to be discussed, however with short notice and all of the adult volunteers at work, we couldn’t arrange it. However, this was not a problem because as soon as our members heard about it they decided to attend. They were outraged that nobody has asked the young people if it was OK to sell the centre. Zoe Giles checked with the local Youth Forum YELL but they hadn’t heard anything. Zoe contacted the council to ask if they could have their say at the meeting and the chairman agreed to waive the rules about giving 7 days notice to speak. 12 teenagers went to County Hall for the meeting, without any of the adult volunteers.

 

For the statement made by Zoe at the meeting, webcast and audio recording see the link ‘Cabinet Meeting’

At the same meeting on 20th December a decision was taken to introduce a new way of running Youth Centres across Surrey. Instead of the Linton Centre being run by Surrey County Council directly, it will be run by Surrey Youth Consortium. This may have in impact on the club from April 2012, both financially with potentially increased hire charges and with the services provided.

How Can you help?

 

Contacts:

Everybody who has been to visit our club is aware of the benefits it brings to the individuals and the wider community. We have already received some great support. Do you have any direct contacts with people who may be able to help – in Epsom, in Surrey, in campaigning, in the press? Please let us know and we can invite them to see Epsom Phab in action.

One way of ensuring that the Lintons Centre or an equivalent facility remains open in Epsom is for it to be used as much as possible so that we can clearly demonstrate its value to Surrey County Council.  If you know of any group that might be interested in using such facilities, please encourage them to get in touch with us.

Statement

Are you able to write a few words/short piece on what the club means to your family? As we get a clearer idea of how the Task group will progress we may well ask you to submit your thoughts about the club to the appropriate decision makers.

We would be keen to understand the importance of continuity. We ensure club keeps running throughout the school holidays as we aware of how important it is to have the club available every week. In the past when the Linton Centre has been temporarily closed and we have had to meet at the Ebbisham Centre or Rainbow Centre this has caused a problem to some members. If the centre closes we want to ensure a new facility is provided before we have to move without a break in service.

 

Vote :

The NUS have an initiative that encourages students to make a change. Courtney has set up a change to provide a Youth facility in Epsom. If it is chosen, the NUS will use their significant experience to help the members with their campaigning. To support this, follow the link ‘I Am The Change’, find ‘A Change Made by Courtney’ which is currently the most popular  and click on ‘vote for this change’

 

Keep In touch:

We will endeavour to keep you in touch with progress via email and the website. We would like to keep members/young volunteers updated at the short meeting at the end of each club evening. This is important as they are key to the success of the campaign. It is the young people themselves who have already had a great impact. Please encourage members to stay for this brief update.

 

Update 8th January for Parents, Members and Volunteers

We are still trying to find out exactly what has happened. It appears that the decision may still be to sell the Linton Centre and it may have already been sold despite the young people’s representation. As a result of the meeting, Surrey County Council are setting up a Task group to monitor and consult about the centre. However, we have not yet been invited to anything.

Update 17th January for Parents, Members, Volunteers and Supporters

 

Firstly, a huge ‘Thank You!’

Thanks to the parents who have written to express their support and share with us what Epsom Phab means to their family.  Also, to the members, parents and volunteers who have shared the information regarding the Linton Centre across the community, with MPs, local businesses, newspapers, radio stations, schools and other community groups. We are creating an email list of those people who would like to keep in touch with what is happening.

 

In the media this week, we have had articles in the online Surrey Advertiser and the online Epsom Guardian plus they have sent a photographer for photos to support an article in their paper this week.

We have also had our opportunity to have our say on BBC Radio Surrey. For all articles/broadcasts in the media, see the link. ’Press Page’

During the Radio interview, Kay Hammond from Surrey County Council stated:

‘Lintons Lane site is going to be sold but the recommendation was very clear. The officers be authorised to identify and provide suitable and alternative accommodation for the Youth service and other users including Phab in full consultation with the service and relevant cabinet portfolio holders that ensure service continuity.’

This was the first time we had heard the decision from the meeting, despite Zoe (who spoke at the Cabinet meeting) having asked directly on 20th December to be informed of the outcome. We have yet to receive any written communication from Surrey County Council in respect to the decision.

Whilst extremely disappointed that Surrey County Council should have taken the decision without any consultation with the Young People, our greatest concern is that we may have only 12 months to find a replacement centre. This is not going to be easy. We need a site with floodlit facilities outside, a sports hall plus access to around 4 other rooms, large storage areas, in a secure environment without access from the general public – and of course it has to be totally accessible for people with a variety of needs. It has to be available on Friday evenings throughout the year including the holidays, close to Epsom Town centre, with plenty of parking and at a similar cost to the Linton Centre.

We await an invitation to the Steering Group being set up to monitor and consult on the centre.

We would like to assure all of you that despite the huge distraction of this threat to our club, your volunteers are continuing to provide a full and varied programme for the coming year. As well as meeting each Friday evening for the rest of the year (except Good Friday when we will be on Phab Holiday) we are planning a Jono Harvey sports evening in February, visit for the older members to see John Kelly in ‘Reasons To Be Cheerful the Musical’ at the Hackney Empire in March, Club Holiday to Bendrigg Lodge in the Lake District at Easter and several visits to the Paralympics in September. We also hope to have exciting news about a visit to Chessington World Of Adventures, a Phab Festival in the summer, Watersports day at Thames Young Mariners and club holiday in 2013.

 

Cabinet Meeting        Press Page         I am the Change        Research Paper  ‘Reasons for Epsom Phab’       Facilities Required

Click here to go to latest update 12th Feb 2011

 

Update 29th January for Parents, Members, Volunteers and Supporters

Thank you to all the parents who have introduced us to new supporters and written to share what Epsom Phab means to their family. Thank you to all the supporters who have come to visit our club.

 In the media this week, we have had a great article in the Epsom Guardian. This has produced a lot of interest from members of the community sympathetic to our cause and keen to help us in our search for an alternative home for the club. As a result of the publicity, more families are aware of the services offered by the club and our waiting list has grown.

 However, despite assurances by the SCC spokesman that ‘No provision will be lost’ we have been informed that one of the rooms at the Linton Centre, used each week for the youngsters to participate in inclusive dance and drama, is to be used as office space.  Desks and office furniture have already been moved into the facility and one of our most popular activities has now been severely restricted.

 We are very disappointed to report that we are still awaiting an invitation to the Steering Group being set up to monitor and consult on the centre.

Once again we have to report that we have yet to receive any written communication from Surrey County Council in respect of the decision to sell the Leasehold of the Centre.

In addition, an email sent by Zoe Giles, on behalf of the members on 20th December, has not yet received a response.

 Our greatest concern was that we would only have only 12 months to find a replacement centre. Due to the lack of response from Surrey we may now have just 11 months.

 Despite the lack of communication from Surrey County Council we continue to actively lobby a wide range of interest groups and are receiving a great deal of support, for which we are very grateful.

 

 

 

Update 12th February for Parents, Members, Volunteers and Supporters

We are pleased to report that there has been some movement from Surrey County Council.

 

Zoe has received a response to her email to Surrey County Councillor Kay Hammond, asking how the young people would find out the final decision on the Linton Centre and the original question posed at Cabinet meeting in December (Why have you not listened to our views when deciding to sell the Linton Centre? ) as follows:

 

Thank you for your email concerning Lintons Youth Centre.  I appreciate your concerns and can assure you that Surrey County Council is committed to securing suitable alternative premises for Services for Young People and other user groups providing for young people.
  
Surrey County Council is establishing a task group to identify options for re-provision.  The task group will include Surrey County Council Members, Epsom and Ewell Borough Council Members, some user groups, young people, Surrey County Council officers and Epsom and Ewell Borough Council officers.  The task group will also engage other organisations in its work to ensure wide involvement in the identification of future options.
  
The task group will start its work by mapping current provision and identifying future requirements.  This mapping will include consideration of the facilities required by Services for Young People and other user groups providing for young people. The task group will also start to identify alternative options from an early stage and I would welcome any suggestions on this front.  Consideration of alternative options will include available facilities, location and suitability for the range of users.
  
The task group will be planning its work with the expectation that there is sufficient time to identify options, plan and manage the transition of provision.
  
I am committed to the involvement of young people in these discussions and can assure you young people will be closely involved in the work of the task group.
  

 We have now received an invite to the first meeting of the Task group on 5th March. Surrey are preparing a report on our needs to be reviewed at the Task Group. Representatives have visited to see the club in action and have been very impressed by what they've seen.  Further visits are planned over the next few weeks. We have submitted our own statement of facilities requirements and a research paper supporting the work we do. These are both available on the link above.  Thank you to all the parents who have written to share what Epsom Phab means to their family. These have also been submitted to the Council.

 

We are very grateful for the support we are receiving from members, families and the wider community, particularly the support over the last few weeks of local Councillors and the media.