Community hubs

What are community hubs you may ask? As defined by Strabane Local Strategy Partnership, the aim is to equip nine strategically placed community and voluntary organisations to provide essential services to surrounding organisations in the most marginalised and deprived areas of Strabane District Council area.

After a discussion with the management committee we decided to apply and immediately came up against a barrier. The four checks for consideration included a requirement that group premises must be owned, or have a lease with at least seven years left on it. This seemed to be a problem. What group can guarantee funding for two years, never mind a seven-year lease on premises? We spoke to our landlord, whom we lease from on a yearly basis due to funding restrictions, and he solved our issue. Groups also had to show that they could attract at least five additional groups to their premises.

The community hubs application offered groups the opportunity to apply for funding to maximise their centre or organisation. Strabane and Lifford Women’s Centre applied for computer equipment, which we very much need and can use to benefit both our own user groups and five new user groups involved in our hub.

The advantages to Strabane and Lifford Women’s Centre of being a community hub are:

• networking - sharing information, experiences and knowledge
• increased usage of Strabane and Lifford Womens Centre facilities
• sustainability for the centre by creating more revenue
• capital to buy equipment and improve facilities
• training - added education and learning opportunities.

The benefits of being part of a community hub are:

• increased confidence
• enhanced development for users and projects
• bring both sides of the community together
• combined numbers and an increased uptake in courses
• publicise each other’s groups and activities
• social aspect - meeting new people
• strengthen lobbying abilities
• increased prospects for further funding.

Strabane LSP had originally stated that it would select eight community hubs. However, when the assessment panel met, nine had applied so the budget was amended so that all could avail of this programme. This decision, in my opinion, was a very fair choice. Although those involved in the programme are very enthusiastic about this innovative idea, there are others who do not feel the same way. The fears are about loss of identity; that Strabane LSP and Strabane District Council might try to reduce the number of groups in the district; and that hubs may become the ‘cream’ and that other groups might be forgotten about.

Strabane LSP would say ‘no’ to all the above. I have mixed views, but if I were a member of a small community group I would have my concerns.

Already one of Strabane and Lifford Women’s Centre’s new groups has raised apprehension about losing its identity by becoming part of our hub. It sent a letter of support with our application but did not fully understand what being part of our hub meant. We have written to the group to reiterate that being part of our hub means that at any time it can avail of our centre, equipment and other support needed. It does not take away from the fact that the organisation is an independent one and still eligible to apply for grants or funding.

In the Taskforce’s 'Pathways for Change' report under Infrastructure: Capacity and Resourcing (paragraph 4.36) it says:

“Research has also been commissioned by the Task Force to explorer the feasibility of Network Centre buildings in which co-operation, joint working and the sharing of resources by users and tenant groups is a core function. Early results show that the potential benefits from such centres range from better coordination between organisations to the sharing of skills, knowledge and resources”

This would clearly support the ethos of the community hubs. The sharing of skills, knowledge and resources, however, can also be strengthened through shared training. Strabane LSP has also offered funds toward a training programme for £37,500.

Strabane LSP has sent out questionnaires to all the community hubs to research into training and skills development which will be followed up by a training needs analysis and then the training courses.

While the community hubs may be a good idea in theory, time will tell! Did organisations apply for the funding to spend on capital equipment as a selfish act? Or to share freely with their newly formed friends in the sector? “The proof of the pudding is in the eating,” as they say so .......watch this space!

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