A Community Transfer Asset for Plasnewydd Community Centre in Roath, Cardiff has enabled the YMCA to widen its work in Cardiff and expand its service provision for the future.
Background
The YMCA is one of the oldest youth charities in the UK, and it has worked with young people and the wider community in Cardiff since 1852. It is therefore well-established with resources and a track record of delivery.
The YMCA currently provides a range of projects supporting young people throughout Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, including projects supporting young carers across the two counties and specialist sexual health advice to young people in partnership with Public Health Wales.
It also provides homeless accommodation and support to vulnerable young adults, with over 100 beds available throughout the city.
Business
Within Cardiff, the YMCA portfolio includes two gymnasiums, a theatre and community rooms, which are made available to local clubs and groups as part of its wider community engagement initiatives.
The YMCA was interested in the Community Asset Transfer for the Plasnewydd Community Centre as it allowed the charity to widen its work in Cardiff beyond its main site in the Walk.
The Plasnewydd Community Centre has been a valuable community resource in the local area for some time, with residents, groups and other families historically using the site. The CAT has provided an opportunity to capitalise on this engagement to target improvements at both existing and new potential users.
Details
In late 2013-14, as part of its budget setting process, Cardiff Council identified that it wanted to seek Expressions of Interest regarding the possible Community Asset Transfer of the Plasnewydd Community Centre.
It acknowledged that it did not have the resources to continue to operate the centre and had therefore earmarked it for closure. However, it was clear that there was a continued demand and need for the centre and so the council proposed to find a solution via the asset transfer process.
Following Cabinet approval, it took approximately 12 months of negotiation before the transfer was concluded in April 2015.
The conditions of the Community Asset Transfer were:
- 99-year lease as the council was not able to release the freehold for the site
- Rent-free for the first 25 years
- Rent agreed to be set at ground rent level
- Site must remain for community use
Benefits
The Community Asset Transfer has facilitated the redevelopment of the site and enabled the YMCA to create a hub building in partnership with partners that will have a focus on health and wellbeing programmes, childcare provision and access to community resources.
The re-development is beneficial to the long-term interests of the YMCA, the people it supports and the community.
The asset transfer has secured a facility at Plasnewydd Community Centre that enables community engagement and cohesion around a range of community development aims.
It has allowed the Cardiff YMCA to progress a five-year strategic investment programme for the site, which has rejuvenated its service provision in Cardiff.
Lesson learned
Both parties have learnt a lot through the transfer process and had to compromise to make the transfer achievable.
At the time of transfer, there was no established toolkit within Cardiff County Council for Asset Transfers. Despite this, the success of the transfer has been due to the mutual commitment to collaboration, with both parties prepared to take some degree of risk by compromising to resolve issues.
Two particular areas of contention that took some time to work through were the TUPE transfer of staff and the lease agreement.
In October 2014, Cardiff County Council published its ‘Stepping Up’ Toolkit to support its application to take over the management of a community service or asset formerly run by a Public Body in the Cardiff area.