The Great Aycliffe Community Aid Partnership (GACAP) are currently working with the Trustee Board of the Agnew Community Centre with a view to extending the current Community Centre by at least 100% on their spare land to provide a multi-purpose building to use as a Community Hub.
GACAP formed last year, was spearheaded by Newton News’ own Syd Howarth, who had the vision of bringing all the agencies, charitable and statutory, together to work in a co-ordinated way and to share best practice to ensure that families in crisis would only need to access one organisation for help. That organisation would be able to identify and signpost the client to other providers of help and support. immediately from partnership contacts.
The Partnership continues to grow but GACAP Chairman, Pauline Chambers, said they would still welcome any organisation or business who would like to be involved as there are many ways that partners can help, even if they don’t supply an obvious service.
For further information about becoming a partner, supporter, volunteer or donor please contact treasurer.nayc@live.co.uk
Pauline said “GACAP envisages the new building at the Agnew will house an additional distribution point for the Food Bank, provide permanent storage and a packing centre for the Helping Hands Charity.
Both Charities currently help 100’s of people from the town at the moment. In addition to this we hope there will be the ability to extend the Nursery currently situated in the Agnew Community Centre so they will be able to offer more affordable places to children. We understand that additional nursery places are very much needed in the community. We also would like to include a clothing recycling service, particularly for school uniforms and perhaps even a community café dependent on the eventual size.”
We will of course encourage partners of GACAP to bring their services into the Community Hub, so there will also be some office space for them, and Gacap to use as its HQ.
The initial plans are currently being drawn up and we are so thankful to Cllrs Gray, Clare & Dixon for their financial support from their members’ initiative fund for this.
Syd and I met with the councillors who saw the benefits of the building and how the services offered can and will improve the lives of many families from the area and across Aycliffe as a whole.
GACAP wish to hear the views and opinions about the building and will be holding a public consultation meeting at the Agnew in the future as part of the Feasibility Report. However we really would like to hear from you now and you can email comments and questions to GACAP Chairman on Gacapchair2014@outlook.com
Agnew Comunity Centre showing site for proposed extension left of the building
