Volunteers set up the St Martins Community Action Group (SMCAG) to look at things they could do to make the Nunsthorpe a better place to live. The group used the church hall for their meetings and Arranged trips, days out and a range of social functions for the local community. After discussing other local issues the group started extending its remit to local families and children that were often isolated and never left the local area.
Moving Forward
They realised that in order to make a more significant impact they would need a larger investment. At the same time, the local police commander had started to take a keen interest in the impact on crime statistics and started attending their meetings. They sought
advice and support from a local regeneration agency to help them.Who set up a company limited by guarantee, Nunsthorpe Together.
THE HISTORY OF NUNSTHORPE TOGETHER LTD
Creating a sense of community
By giving out food hampers to residents at Christmas, organising children’s discos and Floats
at the Summer Carnival, the group created a real sense of community in the Area.
They also ran regular kids clubs and in 2005 the group’s activities began to have a Significant
impact on the local community.
The group organised an Abbamania show at Grimsby Auditorium. The young people from
the group organised and planned the two hour Abba show in which they danced and Sang.
The theme of the show was around supporting young people and giving them the chance
to show they could produce a spectacular event with the minimum of Backing.120 young
people got on stage to show off their talents. The event was such a success it was repeated
again when Louise Casey from the Home Office attended and gave her support and was quoted in the local paper Calling the work of the group “A National Example” as the leader of the Government’s ‘Taking a Stand’ campaign.
Building Respect
In 2006 the group asked local young people what they wanted and their unanimous response was a place to go where they could be with their friends,play video games but that wasn’t the
youth club. From this feedback the group developed a vision for what would become the Respect Funhouse.
The church hall where they had run the bingo sessions would not be big enough for this request and so Steve managed to convince the Church, with its declining congregation, to share St Martin’s Church itself with the Funhouse. This unique approach meant that the church would benefit from some much needed refurbishment and the Funhouse would have the security of a long lease and a sufficiently sized venue from which to operate. The Respect Funhouse would be a centre for young people of all ages that could have fun, play, keeping them off the streets and out of trouble. In 2006, the group including the local church representatives, a Police Chief Inspector and local residents appeared on prime time TV. They pitched for £45,000 as part of ITV’s “Fortune: Million Pound Giveaway” programme and beat 40,000 applications to get in the last 22 and then pitch their idea on live TV. Steve Hill provided a candid presentation on his own past and was backed up by the Chief Inspector and the Rector of Grimsby resulting in a successful investment.
Overcoming “Red Tape
In 2008 after a series of delays the group were struggling to secure the remaining money from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund due to protracted application processes and negotiations. In order to receive NRF Funds St Martins Community Action Group Had to shut and Nunsthorpe Together Ltd take over. We all remember the promises by the professionals why it was so important to been seen to work together. Fantasic strategy so we get all the stones thrown at us by the people we are trying to help? But the promises of jobs for our kids
And in the hope things would get better so In March 2008the NRF team commissioned a local agency, CERT, to develop a feasibility study with the group to justify the project. CERT had two weeks to turn the project around and worked day and night to prepare a fully costed feasibility study and business case to secure the remaining funds to undertake the capital works and purchase the essential equipment.
The award was granted and the Respect Funhouse commenced its purchases and capital
works. CERT acted as interpreter between the statutory agencies and the group -
Community Empowerment
It is expected that the Funhouse did contribute towards many of the major government indicators under LAA2 in the areas of learning, community engagement and cohesion, crime reduction, health improvements and improved facilities within deprived communities. However the group’s focus is on creating a real place within their community that makes it a better place to live and that “Keeps the kids off the streets”. And I expect ne lincs council amongst other claimed reward funding on all these outcomes.
Throughout 2008 the group, and the community worked hard to get the centre ready
and provide a centre for the community by the community. Offering an excellent example
of a community pulling together, empowering each other and making it happen.The result
was the Respect Funhouse,It was a fully equipped state of the art internal soft play
area with the main play tower over two stories high and as long as a double-
open seven days a week and was staffed by 46 volunteers. It even had a quiet homework room and somewhere for kids to chill out and one intention is to work in partnership with local schools who will use the facility as an incentive for school children to behave and improve their attendance at school.
RESPECT
Dave Hillditch, the Police Divisional Commander for North East Lincs believes that
the centre has helped to reduce anti-
“The impact of the Fun House goes beyond the obvious …. it gives children an interest, a sense of belonging and builds their aspirations – as well as keeping them away from street
crimes.”
