ABOUT
THE NEWSOME CENTRE
Vision.
From a redundant church we will create a vibrant community café with free wifi. It will also be an entertainment and small conference venue. It will be a place where people can come together, meet socially 7 days a week. There will be comfortable seating and tables, with a main hall to accommodate 150 people and seminar rooms also with multimedia facilities each accommodating around 25 people round tables It will be an entertainment venue for concerts, plays, films and a place where people can celebrate their marriage and other family events. We will aim to be a zero carbon building with high levels of insulation and use of renewable energy. This will reflect our values but also make us a financially sustainable venue. While modernising the building we will respect the heritage of the building by retaining church features such as the pulpit and memorials . We do this out of respect but also to celebrate the heritage of the building in our community.
Our Organisation.
The Newsome Centre is a Community Benefit Society established in 2022. The board consist of representatives from the Church of England, Newsome Academy, local residents and local Kirklees Councillors. We have established the community benefit society with help from Cooperative Mutual Solutions Limited.
The purpose of a community benefit society is to serve the broader interests of the community, in contrast to co-operative societies that serve the interests of members. The 2014 Act requires a community benefit society to “carry on a business, industry or trade” that is “being, or intended to be, conducted for the benefit of the community”. But the Act does not provide any further definition or description of what a community benefit society is, creating a reliance on the FCA’s registration guidance.
Purpose: The FCA says that “the conduct of a community benefit society’s business must be entirely for the benefit of the community.” There can be no alternative or secondary purposes, including any that may preferentially benefit the members.
Membership: In common with all societies, community benefit societies normally have members who hold shares and are accorded democratic rights on the basis on one-member-one-vote. The FCA says “it is not usually appropriate for a community benefit society to give any particular group of members greater rights or benefits, because the society must be conducting its business for the benefit of the community. So, for example, we would expect to see community benefit societies run democratically on the basis of one-member-one-vote.
Our Timeline.
2020
September - First exploratory discussions between local Councillors Andrew Cooper, Sue Lee-Richards and Karen Allison and Reverend Julie Anderson regarding the possibility of St John’s Church closing due to falling numbers at congregations and its possible reuse as a community building.
2020/21 - Covid Pandemic slows progress
2021
11th January - One17 Architects produce some outline drawings based on our vision for a Community Centre and Events Space. This is commissioned by the Newome Ward Councillors
2022
March - Dave Hollings of Co-operatives and Mutual Solutions begins helping the Newsome Centre establish itself as a legal entity and establishing model policies we will need when established.
22nd September - First Board Meeting of The Newsome Centre
5th October - The Newsome Centre becomes a Community Benefit Society registered with the Financial Conduct Authority
2023
21st February - Meeting with Church of England to negotiate details and conditions of the handover of the building.
5th March - St John’s Church holds its Final Service to a packed church, Councillor Andrew Cooper speaks on the future of the building as The Newsome Centre.
23rd May - Ramsden Solicitors commissioned to help us with the purchase of St John’s Church from the Church of England
15th June - Planning Application approved for change of use from a place of worship to a Community Centre with ancillary cafe unanimously approved by Kirklees Council Planning Committee.
August - Our first Crowdfunder to purchase the building raises £18.145 to purchase the building and cover legal costs.
22nd October - First volunteer session clearing the drains and gutters and cutting back overgrown vegetation.
November - One17 Architects commissioned to organise detailed reports on drainage, roofing, heating, windows in preparation for bids for the Community Ownership Fund/National Lottery.
2024
23rd January - The Newsome Centre takes ownership of the St John’s Church Building.
12th March - The Newsome Centre holds its first Annual General Meeting
March 2024 - Our second Crowdfunder raises £22,693 to help pay for planning costs and further development of The Newsome Centre.
6th April - First event is held at The Newsome Centre to a packed hall. Fishing for Compliments and the band Hokum feature. The event raises over £1700 for the centre.
2025
Coming soon