I attended the inaugural meeting of the Grange Big local project last week at Boydens Pantry on Church Lane. It was a good discussion, and the aim of the funding is clear to us now. The £1 million the area has been granted is to fund projects ofver 10 years, but not on areas where other bodies have a statutory obligation to fund the work. The biggest cause for concern was a lack of youth provision. With the Old Barn out of commission, it isn't hard to see why young people feel disengaged and disenfranchised. We are looking at ways the funding can provide new services for young people, and perhaps even new facilities. The community centre on red lion hill is to be turned into a private nursery, which is not likely to be used by residents of the Grange estate, so we could look to provide somewhere else if we can't re-engage the Old Barn. another possibility is the Newstead for smaller children.
We are also keen to ensure services and facilities for older residents, as well as the 30-55 demographic, who tend not to use many local services.
The next meeting will be 6.30 PM Wednesday 10th April at Boydens Pantry on Church Lane, if you would like to contribute ideas.
