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Pickering Community Centre Saved

Monday, 29 March 2021 07:43

By Matthew Pells

Scarborough based CaVCA have confirmed they will be taking over the custodianship of Pickering's Hungate Centre.

The community centre was put up for sale by previous operator the Royal Voluntary Service.

It caused controversy in the town as the centre was originally built in the 1960s using public donations and then gifted to the RVS to operate in trust.

After the RVS announced it's intention to sell the building a local community group banded together to either try and raise the cash to buy the building for the town, or to persuade RVS to donate it to them.

The group put up a banner on the railings outside the Hungate Centre to draw attention to their online petition which attracted over 1,000 signatures. Members of the group also wrote to the RVS Board, some even writing to HM The Queen (RVS patron) and the Duchess of Cornwall (RVS President).

Earlier this month we reported how Coast and Vale Community Action had been holding talks with the RVS about taking over the trusteeship of the building.

CaVCA Chief Exec Mel Bonney explained how that would work

Thoise negotiations have now progressed and in a social media post CaVCA have said:

"CaVCA is delighted to announce that we will be taking on the custodianship of the Hungate Centre in Pickering from RVS. A hard fought campaign led by the community, we are so pleased to have been able to play our small part in ensuring the building, originally built and paid for by the people of Pickering, is retained for community use.

We have a few legalities to go through but we hope to be able to reopen by the summer.

Thank you to the people of Pickering, Neil and Ruth of Musical Memories CIC, David Kerfoot, everyone who signed the petition or shared a post, and Ryedale District Council for the offer of a grant for repairs"


Mel says taking over the trusteeship of the building will involve CavCA making a payment to RVS to settle the "community debt" that they have accrued in running and maintaining the building. CaVCA say they will be running the centre for the benefit of the people of Pickering and not as a money making exercise.

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