STORY SO FAR
SPRING 2006 ISSUE 3
Since our last newsletter, here at BMECP we have been working extremely hard on your behalf and it is with pleasure that I can now inform you that on the 20th of February 2006 we have signed a 160 years Lease for the purchase of the core and shell of the lower ground and ground floor premises within the New England Quarter development near Brighton Station and the new Sainsbury’s.
I am sure you would join with me in congratulating ourselves on this achievement on behalf of our communities.
However and there is always a but in our ‘STORY SO FAR’ the next challenge of many yet to come is finding the additional money to fund the fit out cost of the premises. To that purpose we already had a fruitful meeting with our funders and are working hard to finalise the Business Plan by the 31st March.
The Community Training and
Resource Centre will provide
the facilities that are needed to be more effective in delivering
services
and activities to beneficiaries. However, at least 66% of the
available
floor space will be given over to activities that support job-related
training
and enterprise development. At this stage, it is envisaged that the
fitted-out
building will include the following facilities:
· Flexible rooms
that will be available for
training, workshops, seminars, conferences and community use
· ICT training space
· Flexible office space,
including hot desking
facilities
· Business start up
facilities
· Reception and
café hub
· Training resource library
· Crèche
· Outreach services.
It is proposed that the Training and Resource Centre will be operational by February 2007. For this to be accomplished a two phase process will need to be undertaken concurrently, and the key events and milestones are listed below.
.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE BMECPCOMMUNITY
TRAINING AND RESOURCE
CENTRE:PHASE 1: SITE DEVELOPMENT
DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
DESCRIPTION AGENCY RESPONSIBLE
April 2005 Acceptance of
the SRB6 application
and agreement of funding SEEDA
April – July 2005
Completion of agreement
BMECP, Developers
July 2005 Construction
starts on site
Developer
February 2006 First staged
payment. Second
and last payment upon satisfactory completion of the build City Council
November 2006 Construction
complete, hand
over of core & shell to BMECP Developer
PHASE 2: FITTING OUT
January 2006 Final plans
for internal design
and services completed; all consents secured. BMECP,
Architects
February 2006 Lease signed and sealed
BMECP/QED/SSL
November 2006 Fit out work
begins on site
Contractor
February 2007 Completion of
work Contractor
Which brings me to point out to your attention the leaflet enclosed relating to an important meeting on TUESDAY 21ST MARCH FROM 5:30PM TO 9:30 PM where you will have another chance to inform the activities and services that will operate from the Centre.
Overall, it is aimed that
the activities and services
delivered from the Community Training and Resource Centre will enable
BME
people and Refugees and asylum seekers groups and communities to be
more
socially included and active members of the wider Brighton and Hove
community
in the long term.