HORN PARK COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

The Horn Park Community Centre is held in trust and managed on behalf of the local community by the Horn Park Community Association.

Horn Park Community Association is governed by a Constitution and a Management Committee is elected each year at an Annual General Meeting of members, which is open to the public.

Our everyday income is generated by renting out our two main halls and our smaller rooms.  Part of the running and maintenance costs of the building are (2010/2011) met by a Service Level Agreement Payment from Greenwich Council, which Horn Park Community Association match pound for pound.  We also apply for grants to set up new groups and activities and provide new equipment to enhance the facilities for current user groups.

We are very proud to say Horn Park Community Association consists almost entirely of volunteers, mostly from the local community though there are some who travel further to be with us.

Horn Park Community Centre is available for bookings from 9am to 11pm Monday to Saturday, and 9am to 10pm on Sundays which is a total of 97 hours a week. We have an Entertainments License.  

Our volunteers are vital to the smooth operation of Horn Park Community Centre.  We have logged over 2000 hours of volunteer time over the year.    

What have the volunteers done this year?

·       85% of the administrative tasks  

·      Maintained the centre’s PCs and Network facilities

o      Supported U.K.Online.

o      Helped to maintain a Nature reserve at the local allotments and our allotment plot which is run to promote healthy eating.

·       Produced a Community Newsletter

We value the wide range of skills and talents our volunteers bring.  There is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer.

Would you like to become part of this small band of people who still believe in building a community?   Would you like to make a donation to Horn Park Community Association to help with our work?

To become a member, volunteer or just find out more telephone us 0208-851-6131 or e-mail hornpark2002@yahoo.co.uk.

To make a donation, please send a cheque to Horn Park Community Association, 96 Sibthorpe Road, Lee, London, SE12 9DP.  (made payable to Horn Park Community Association).  We are a Registered Charity, Charity No. 273925. If you require a receipt please let us know your return address.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Geoff (Editor Website and Newsletter)

On behalf of the Management, Horn Park Community Centre.

THE YEAR IN VIEW 2009 – 2010, FROM THE CHAIR

During this year we have made great strides in our plans for refurbishing the Community Centre and we continue to maintain the building in good order as laid down in our constitution.

Just by looking you can see that the halls have been redecorated and new central doors at the rear have been installed. The old broken screen that was part of the original design of the building when built in 1953, dividing the two halls has gone and the replacement means that the halls can now be used at the same time as they have much better sound proofing qualities. The small hall has also had work completed including a newly laid floor, which has also been renewed throughout the passageway. Also a new ceiling with integral lighting has also been installed throughout the passageway.

There is still a lot to be completed, but we have achieved as much as we have by very careful planning and management. We arranged with our suppliers that they show us how their goods should be installed, supply the materials and leave it to us to have the work carried out, then returning when the job is completed to inspect and pass the works. This saves a lot of money on the cost of labour.

The money to complete the refurbishments has come from increased revenue from bookings, and despite financial pressure due to reductions of SLA funding, we have not raised our booking prices for two years. We also have two churches attending on a Sunday and one of them also use the Centre one night during the week.

We have the hall in use every week night for a range of activities, most of which are for the young people, i.e. Dance classes, Music and Art Project, Karate, etc. For educational purposes, there are also English lessons to improve children’s chances of passing the 11+.

Our Coffee Mornings for the local community are building up in numbers and it is now possible to get soup and a roll, hot baguettes with various fillings as well as a range of hot foods as well as coffees. This gives local residents the opportunity to meet and consult with members of the Associations’ management, one of whom is always present, about matters of local concern or usage of the community centre. The coffee bar is also now open on Monday evenings for the Dance classes and on the Friday mornings that Clive Efford holds his Surgery.

Our Christmas Fair held at the end of December was an excellent day and we raised nearly £400.00, providing another venue for the local community to get together

Our regular volunteers donated 2505 hours of their own time, both working in the Centre and delivering leaflets to advertise events. This equates to £14,579.00 in match funding. Volunteers are essential to the normal running of the centre or when we run an event such as the Christmas Fair or any other Community Open Day.

We now regularly maintain this website to allow our range of activities and facilities to reach as wide a number of people as possible and this has now largely supplanted our old newsletter as the prime method of distributing information to the community. Those members of the community without a personal computer can of course make use of our excellent UK Online facility.

2010/11 will see yet further upgrades as bookings should continue to increase with the improvements and brighter look of the halls.

We continue to strive for excellence and improvement, but we would always welcome input from members of the community who wish to become members of the Association and make a contribution. Why not call in and pick up a membership form from the centre office and make a positive contribution or just call in to offer your suggestions to improve the facility or its services.

Membership forms are available at all General Meetings, so why not collect one from a member of management or staff.

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