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SADCIC PUBLIC MEETINGS ON THE PROPOSED COMMUNITY ENTERPRISE CENTRE

(MAY, 2010)

The Saxmundham & District Community Interest Company (SADCIC) held two public meetings on the evening of Friday, May 14th and morning of Saturday, May 15th. These were held at the Saxmundham Middle School.

Around 120 key stakeholder organisations and local residents attended - including our newly elected Conservative MP, Therese Coffey and the runner-up Daisy Cooper (Lib Dem) - and gave their overwhelming support to the proposed SADCIC Community Enterprise Centre. The Saxmundham Middle School is due to close In the summer of 2012 as part of the county’s school organisation review and SADCIC, formed three years ago by Saxmundham volunteers, wants to take it over and turn it into a local amenity for all the community. SADCIC’s flagship project is a Community Enterprise Centre which meets a wide array of needs expressed by the local population. This centre could potentially include significant office and business areas, supported by advanced IT facilities, a public library and information centre, a conference and high-tech training facility, a recording studio and community radio station, a youth centre, a fitness suite, a café, a commercial kitchen and dining area, a bar and several meeting areas and a crèche. The building would be an inclusive multi-function, multi-agency building for use by everyone for both enterprise and community use – a place for work, rest and play.   The Community Enterprise Centre would be a mix of commercial enterprise interests to generate revenues to pay for the maintenance of the building and subsidise community interests – to ensure long-term sustainability of the concept.

SADCIC DIRECTOR IN STARS OF SUFFOLK

(MARCH 2010)

Suffolk County Council and The Evening Star sponsor the Stars of Suffolk Awards to find and recognise "people of inspiration, bravery and compassion...shining lights in the lives of others because of their extraordinary achievements."

There were over 200 nominations for the 2010 Stars of Suffolk Awards and the founder director of SADCIC, Don Tricker was one of three finalists in the "Community Group or Champion of the Year" category. This placing was in recognition for volunteered services to the community, which apart from volunteer work as a founder/director of SADCIC also covered being a founder/director of PASTEL and founder of the Brook Farm Residents Association - the largest residents' association in Suffolk.

For the full listing of finalists, click here .

SADCIC PRESENT TO

THE SUFFOLK COASTAL LOCAL STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

(JUNE 2009)

To view the PowerPoint presentation, please click here

  SADCIC DIRECTOR IN 2009 SUFFOLK HONOURS LIST

(JUNE 2009)

The Queen's Birthday Honours List awards those who have " gone the extra mile to make a difference to the lives of people around them".Community Voluntary and Local Services make up 43% of the awards.

Lt Colonel Ron Warren, Saxmundham Town councillor and SADCIC director, receives the MBE in recognition for the work he undertakes in the community of Saxmundham.

For the full honours listing, click here

SAXMUNDHAM TOWN COUNCIL ENDORSES THE SAXMUNDHAM COMMUNITY PLAN

(MAY 2009)

Following a presentation to, and discussion with, the Saxmundham Town Council, at a special meeting, the council has formally endorsed the plan and the integral Action Plan.And as a measure of their support, a delegation of four councillors (including the council's Chairman), has pledged to work closely with SADCIC to develop the Action Plan and SADCIC's flagship project of a Community Enterprises Centre.

VOLUNTEERS GET ORGANISED

(MAY 2009)

Following the March public meeting, twenty volunteers had come forward to offer their help. Following two meetings in may, the volunteers have been grouped into four working paties:

1.) Steering Group
2.) User Group – negotiate / liase with community and commercial users
3.) Building Design Group – negotiate site options, plan/design building (planning permission, environmental features)
4.) Business group – Business Plan, Grant applications, Contracts

NB. If you would like to volunteer to join the team,

please use the "contact us" page to get in contact.

SADCIC SUPPORTS SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY's JOBS FAIR:

(APRIL, 2009)

Two of SADCIC's volunteer directors, Phil Peeling (l) and Terry Barrow (r), manning the SADCIC exhibition - promoting Saxmundham and seeking student volunteers from all disciplines to join a broad-based community regeneration programme covering economic, social and environmental issues. Phil and Terry were also supported, at the event, by Don Tricker, another SADCIC volunteer director. Several students have expressed interest and discussions will follow...

PUBLIC MEETING

(MARCH, 2009)

Despite some requests for more sustained publicity, over 100 interested parties managed to pop into the Saxmundham Market Hall, on Saturday morning of March 21 st , to inspect, and discuss, the drawings for the proposed new Community Enterprise Centre for Saxmundham. Local town and county councillors were present, along with local MP John Gummer.

The social enterprise, The Saxmundham & District Community Interest Company (SADCIC), presented its research report, the Saxmundham Community Plan and illustrative architectural drawings of the Community Enterprise Centre. Visitors were interested in the likely sites of the Community Enterprise Centre and seeking reassurance that local taxes weren’t part of the funding requirements. The mood of the day was very buoyant with many “bouquets” for the volunteer directors of SADCIC and the hard work they’ve put in to date. Many commented on the thorough and professional approach taken and the exciting possibilities that were being proposed.

Overall there was widespread support and strong encouragement for the proposal given that many thought that Saxmundham had suffered a loss of amenities and facilities in recent years and a corresponding growth of housing stretching the existing infrastructure. .

The illustrated Community Enterprise Centre could contain a new library with an internet café, a large hall for indoor sports such as basketball, badminton and 5-a-side football which could also double as an entertainment/conference centre seating 400 people, a dedicated youth club base and innovative facilities such as a recording studio and a community radio station, to reflect local wishes.

Calls for another public meeting later in the year to review progress will be taken up by SADCIC and, meanwhile, SADCIC directors invigorated by the enthusiastic public feedback will continue to develop the concept.

SADCIC will now be sitting down with other bodies such as Saxmundham Town Council, Suffolk Coastal District Council and Suffolk County Council to discuss their role in moving the whole Community Plan forward.

As soon as the doors opened local residents filed in to find out more about possible potential improvements to local amenities and facilities.	They were able to see the mass survey results, the newly compiled Saxmundham Community Plan and illustrative drawings of the proposed Community Enterprise Centre	All visitors were encouraged to study the displays and reports, ask questions of the SADCIC (volunteer) directors and write down their comments, queries and suggestions.
Phil Peling, one of the SADCIC volunteer directors explains to Rendham residents how these developments are designed to address the needs of surrounding parishes too.	Thora Taylor, Police Community Support Officer, discusses support for the formation of a new youth group with Town Cllr. Cheleigh Trotter-Langlois, leading the new venture.	Richard Broom (left), the Area Youth Work Manager with Suffolk County Council also discusses the need for more local partnership working on youth issues with John Fisher, Leader of Saxmundham Town Council.
Phil gets a grilling from District Cllr. Marian Andrews and is happy to oblige by explaing the scope of SADCIC's plans and discussing the role for local authorities to join in the partnership to accelerate positive change.	Suffolk County Councillor, Rae Leighton (right) explores the various potential involvements for the County Council to further its support of this exciting local initiative.He requests further information for his fellow councillors.	Local MP,John Gummer, is enthused by the sheer vision and scale of the work of the 6 volunteer SADCIC directors and pledges his whole-hearted support.

PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS AND MASS SURVEY OF LOCAL RESIDENTS

(SUMMER 2008)

During July and August 2008 the volunteer directors of the Saxmundham & District Community Interest Company (SADCIC) organised a mass postal survey of households in Saxmundham and the surrounding area - to help build a picture of local needs and wants, prior to initiating discussions with Suffolk County Council and preparing major funding bids to the Lottery and other funding bodies.

The survey, involving the mailing of over 5,500 questionnaires, covered the parishes of Benhall & Sternfield, Farnham and Stratford St Andrew, Friston, Gt.Glemham, Kelsale cum Carlton, Peasenhall, Rendham, Saxmundham, Sibton, Snape, Sweffling and Yoxford - most of IP17. The mailing took place between June 10th and June 20th.

The SADCIC consultations with residents and local community and voluntary groups, social enterprises, local businesses and other local agencies and bodies has pointed to the possibility of a multi-agency, multi-use "Community Enterprise Centre" being designed and built in 2011-2012.

It was important that as many local people as possible express their feeling by responding to the survey, which included a pre-paid envelope to post back completed questionnaires. These findings formed a key part of the evidence required for the Business Plan (to be completed in the latter half of 2009) and the subsequent funding bids, which will start in 2010. The bidding/funding process is complex in its self and will probably take the best part of a year to process.