The motivation
The Trust is custodian of a community resource – a building held in trust by a resident-led charitable organisation, conceived and established in the wider public interest and common good.
We began in 2004 as a loose affiliation of parents looking for safe, child & family-friendly opportunities for our children. We gathered and 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 & it’s rural context; the public purse was shrinking and trust in institutions and services were in decline.)
Between 2010 -12 the residents-group worked with the local authority and local young people to deliver a Skatepark for Abergavenny. After 27 years of disappointment this was a success. We hoped this would herald the beginning of doing more for our young people and families – our own community – but more ‘purchase’ would be required in break in, and so that boat sailed.
Running in the background was a Statutory Review of Primary Education. By 2004 the Park Street Infant School had emerged as a highly desirable asset with huge 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, informed and directed by need, started to shape and drive a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for existing goodwill to be captured and put to work, helping to make neighbourhoods more inclusive and feel safer/stronger. Yes, simply by having and holding a secular place with a focus on serving wider public interest, invites residents 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 mobilise and galvanise people around the need for a secular community space to occupy a void where residents themselves are truly part of shaping our shared-future.
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 – present day ]
Some journey milestones:
2005-2014: Residents campaign to save the former Infant School building as a Community Centre for multi-purpose use.
- street party & Big Lunches
- building twice removed from Auction at the eleventh hour
- public events / articles / social media exposure
- A civic journey of three town councillors which amounted to a decade of exploration and learning.
- A film “Voices of Abergavenny – when it’s gone, its gone”
- Two unsuccessful attempts at unlocking lottery & Welsh Gov funding to back the vision and open the door to asset transfer (prior to acquiring the asset)
- 2014: Monmouthshire County Council grants short-term lease on the building to Abergavenny Community Trust Ltd.
2015: Abergavenny Community Centre opened on 1st March.
2017: Abergavenny Community Trust Ltd is disolved.
2018: Abergavenny Community Trust, CIO Reg Charity 1177133 (Charitable Incorporated Organisation) is formed to govern its affairs and hold the wider public interest motivations in perpetuity.
2021: Monmouthshire County Council grants 25-year (fully-repairing) lease to Abergavenny Community Trust.
March 2026: Trustee Board in discussion with MCC to bring the building and carpark together under one lease. ACT in liason with MCC Legal Team.
April 2026: Legal proceedings to increase the lease to 30 years is currently underway. The rent is being reviewed.
Notes: All registered charities benefit from mandatory business rates relief and a reduction in rent.
Monmouthshire County Council retains ownership of the building and carpark site.
