The motivation
The Trust is the custodian of a community resource – a building held in trust by a resident-led charitable organisation that was established in the wider public interest.
We began in 2004 as a group of parents who were seeking safe child & family-friendly opportunities. where kids were safe and wfor families. residents. We gathered and we formed a resident working group called ‘Community Leisure And Recreation for Abergavenny‘ ( “CLARA” – acronyms were the rage back in the early 2000’s, at a time when the town was losing historical assets/context, the public purse was shrinking and trust in instutitions and services, generally, in decline.)
Between 2010-12 the residents-group worked with the local authority and local young people to deliver a Skatepark to Abergavenny – after 27 years of disappointment. We hoped this would mark the beginning of being able to do more for our young people and families – our community – but more ‘purchase’ would be required, and that boat sailed.
Running along in the background was the Statutory Review of Primary Education and by 2004 the Park Street Infant School was emerging as the desirable asset, with the right potential to capture, hold and grow goodwill for the wider benefit of people living, growing-up, raising children and growing old in and around Abergavenny.
Social innovation and enterprising built on need underpinns this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for local goodwill to contribute to making a stronger and safer community, simple by having and holding a place where residents are invited to participate on their own terms.
We made a short film in 2008 called ‘Voices of Abergavenny’ – when it’s gone, it’s gone which was part of building the case for holding onto a built-asset for community capacity building.
In 2010 “The ‘Future is Local’ was the theme we chose to seek to mobilise and galvanise people around the need for a secular community space to occupy a void at a neighbourhood level.
Since its inception in 2005 the Centre/Trust has undergone several rebirths:
An Industrial Provident Society Bencom (in order to raise community share capital to buy the building); Abergavenny Community Centre Ltd ; Abergavenny Community Trust Ltd ;
Abergavenny Community Trust, Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) Registered charity number 1177133. [2018 – ]
The journey in milestones:
2005-2014: Residents campaign to save the former Infant School building as a Community Centre for multi-purpose use.
2014: Monmouthshire County Council grants short-term lease on the building to Abergavenny Community Trust Ltd.
2015: Abergavenny Community Centre opened on 1st March.
2018: Abergavenny Community Trust formed a Charitable Incorporated Organisation to govern its affairs.
2021: Monmouthshire County Council grants 25-year (fully-repairing) lease to Abergavenny Community Trust.
The charity benefits from mandatory business rates relief and a reduction in rent.
The local authority (Monmouthshire County Council) retains ownership of the building and carpark site.