ASSESSMENT REPORT
Name of Group: Copeman Centre
Status: Registered Charity
Established Date: August 1987
Contact: Theresa Serne
Panel:
£ Requested: £41,703.00
NORTH NORFOLK BIG SOCIETY FUND
February 2013 Large grant
Assessed By: Jenny Bevan
Number of beneficiaries:
600
Primary issues:
Rural issues
Organisation Size:
F/T Staff: 0
P/T Staff: 1
Volunteers: 17
Total Project Cost: £147,703.00
District: North Norfolk
Sub district: Briston
Primary beneficiaries:
People in Rural Areas
Primary age groups:
Adults (26 - 65)
Organisation purpose:
The Copeman Centre is a village hall serving the Briston area.
Application summary:
To replace and extend the toilet facilities.
Financial information:
Annual Operating Budget – £18,978
Free reserves – £8,258
Income Generation – Total income in the year ending April 2012 £23,049
Referee comment:
Cllr Russell John Gregory Wright. "Briston is now either the largest or second largest village in Norfolk, it bucks
the trend of villages in North Norfolk in not having an aging population but a young and vibrant community. It
has a very healthy infrastructure of shops, businesses, community organisations and schools and the Copeman
centre plays a pivotal role. The pre-school uses this building as does the parish council and many other
community groups. The Copeman centre is run by a band of widely dedicated, hard-working and enthusiastic
volunteers. The imposed improvements would make a huge improvement and allow the centre to continue
playing such a vital role in the social cohesion and vitality of the village."
Monitoring objectives:
- to improve WC facilities available at the centre
- to offer smaller and more flexible rooms for hire to meet user needs and budgets
- to increase usage and hire income by enabling the 3 main halls to be hired separately
Recommendation:
It is noted that this project is dependent on a further application for £100,000 to Norfolk County Council's
Construction Fund which will be considered in March, therefore any grant should be offered conditionally at this
stage.
The Copeman Centre is a village hall serving the Briston area of approximately 2,000 residents. The Centre is a
former school owned by the Parish Council and managed by a charitable committee which holds a long term
lease on a peppercorn rental agreement. 975 years remain on the current lease. The Centre has a range of
regular user groups including Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Rainbows, Brownies, 2 exercise classes, dance classes
and tea dances, bingo, gardening club, drama group and WI, plus polling/ Parish Council meetings and private
hires. The Centre also hosts community events such as fêtes, fairs and fundraising events such as car boot
sales. Additionally it hosts a day nursery on site five days a week from 8am to 6pm.
The committee has been fundraising over time to make improvements to the Centre, and successfully self-built
a kitchen extension a few years ago. Fundraising is now underway to replace an old single skin toilet extension
with a larger extension that improves WC facilities and also offers additional space for a small staff room and
office, small rooms suitable for eg. baby clinics, Citizen's Advice Bureau sessions, plus a small lobby. The new
extension will provide access to WCs from each of the building's separate halls, the lack of which is currently
limiting the ability to hire all the spaces concurrently. The current extension is cold and damp, and requires
regular cleaning and repainting due to mould.
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ASSESSMENT REPORT
The building comprises 3 main halls, and in order to maximise use and hire income, the committee is looking to
undertake these works so that each space can be hired separately, with its own entrance and access to toilets.
Additionally these works will enable the nursery, which is a primary user of the building, to have its own access
to WCs. The nursery has a 5 year renewable occupancy licence of which 3 years remain on the current issue.
This is an important income stream for the Centre.
Building works are expected to cost £110, 025, plus plumbing £20,676 and electrics £15,843 – all including
VAT. Hire of portable WCs while these works are carried out is also included at a cost of £1,158. To date the
Centre has raised £6,000 towards this cost, and the balance has been requested from two Norfolk Community
Foundation funds - £100,000 from the Construction fund, and £41,703 from the North Norfolk Big Society Fund.
Planning permission has been granted, although there are some minor provisos around protected trees which
will incur costs that the Centre will cover from its own funds.
It is noted that the Copeman Centre has some capacity to borrow from its own endowed funds - the charity has
£81,000 in permanent endowment secured from the sale of the old village hall. £62,000 of this is restricted
capital, the interest from which accrues to help with the operational costs of the Centre. This means that there
is a maximum of £19,000 that could be drawn down, although it is noted that if this full sum was applied to this
project there would be limited funds to contribute to other operational needs, and understandably the group is
keen to retain some reserve. The only cost of borrowing from the endowment would essentially be lost interest.
A recent survey of Centre users highlighted improvements to toilet facilities and the availability of smaller
spaces that offer some privacy as high priorities. The Centre is a very low cost venue – typically charging £5.50
per hour – and hopes that with some smaller rooms on offer at an even lower cost it will be meeting the needs
of even the smallest local groups. A feasibility study was commissioned in 2009 by NPS Property Consultants
which comprised a survey of the building and various options available to meet the building's needs. The
project was stalled by a failed bid to the lottery for the full building costs, but there is still a recognised need to
undertake these works to ensure the sustainability of the Centre.
While not set out in a formal business plan, the proposed improvements will enable the centre to offer an
average of 20 additional hours per month for new community hires, as well as meet the demand for a smaller
room within the building.
Briston is cited as one of the largest villages in the county and has seen extensive building activity in the area,
with more expected. While the Copeman Centre is not the only community venue serving the area (the
Higginbottom Recreational Charity also operates a playing field and Briston pavilion) there are indications that
both are well used, and operate in a mutually beneficial way. The Copeman Centre is not able to cope with the
demand to hire its premises at present.
NORTH NORFOLK BIG SOCIETY FUND February Large grant 2013
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