Bearwood Hub Newsletter
Save the Corks Campaign Update & What's on this September
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Update on Save The Corks Campaign
Thank You!
We have been absolutely bowled over with the range of offers of support from the community in the last couple of months. We had 285 people offering to pledge that if we released a community share offer, they would contribute 38.5k worth of shares towards the purchase of the building, which is absolutely tremendous.
Unfortunately, at the end of July, Corks Social Club Ltd were put into administration and their assets (the building) were taken into the hands of the administrators to be sold. As some of you will have seen, the Bond Wolfe signs have gone up outside the Corks building and it is scheduled for auction on Thursday 12th September, if no acceptable offer comes in beforehand.
The guide price for the building, which has been part of the high street for 100 years, is £900,000 and it's being marketed as a 'vacant freehold former social club with redevelopment potential in Smethwick'.
We've contacted the agents to advise about the ACV (asset of community value) that's currently in place, and we're continuing to talk to local councillors and Sandwell Council as well as the West Midlands Combined Authority to see if anything can be done to save the building for the local community. Unfortunately, as you’ll read below, there are very few options.
Does the Asset of Community Value offer any protection?
The Asset of Community Value does not have precedence over the administration process, which means that the administrators do not have to provide a 6-month moratorium (pause) on the sale.
However, we are currently seeking clarification about how the ACV might affect prospective planning applications to redevelop the building.
Where are we at with funding to save the building?
Earlier this year we had drafted an application for Round 4 the Community Ownership Fund expecting to submit an application in May. However, due to the general election, the COF programme was put on hold. We are still waiting for an update on the future of Round 4, but the next update about the future of COF is not expected until after the budget is announced in October 2024.
This has made a substantial impact on our business planning and fundraising plans, as there are very few other capital projects funds that we can apply to for the amount that is needed.
It is with great thanks to the business advisors, lawyers, quantity surveyors, builders, campaign advisors and construction specialists that we have been able to put together a realistic picture of what is needed to take on the building, to run it effectively and sustainably.
We have assessed that we would need to raise:
200k in community shares
70k business loan
880k in capital funds (580k min purchase, 300k min renovation)
The building needs substantial renovation in order to bring it up to building regulations & current safety standards.
On top of the usual day-to-day delivery of projects and services, we have been trying to exhaust options to save the Corks Building from being lost to private developers and to save this important venue of community, historic and social value. The team are not able to keep this campaign going and to meet our commitments to our current funders, there just isn’t enough capacity or time to make it happen.
Unfortunately it seems we are out of options at this stage.
What happens next? Can anything be done?
We aren’t totally defeated. We have learned a great deal and now have a really robust business plan that we can adapt to future opportunities.
If anyone wants to take the campaign forward and to try to protect the building from losing its historic facade and features when it is sold then please get in touch with Lizzie at communityhub@bearwood.cc who will connect individuals together in a Save the Corks WhatsApp network.
Wednesday Warm Welcome
September is around the corner, and with the kids returning back to school, so too do our timings and full complement of activities for Wednesday Warm Welcome. We’ll be back on the 4th September 11:30am - 5pm.
11:30am - 1pm - Advice and guidance from Sandwell Cost of Living Team
11:30am - 1pm - Bring Your Own Art Club - Co-Arting!
11:30am - 1pm - Makers and Menders sewing group with Make Good Arts CIC (Every other week)
1pm - Community Lunch
12pm - 2pm English for Everyday
All day - Free shop, tea, coffee, boardgames & chat
3:30 - 4:45pm After School Play
We’ll also be joined on the 4th September by representatives from Anawim & DORCAS and later in September we’ll host a MacMillan Coffee Morning.
Appeal for Donations
We are currently appealing for some specific donations:
Baby clothes - 6-12 months
Wool for our crochet & knitting group
Women’s Clothes, especially jumpers and trousers/leggings
Men’s Clothes
Stay & Play - Back in September!
Join us back at Bear Bookshop on a Monday mornings 10 - 11:30am for Stay & Play!
Storytime & sing-a-long nursery rhymes
Toddler friendly toys
Parent networking
Suitable for babes in arms - toddlers
Need someone to talk to? Struggling to cope and need a bit of extra support? Try our free wellbeing service!
Our FREE Community Wellbeing Service, which aims to improve mental, physical, social and economic wellbeing across our community, is back in September!
Led by our Wellbeing Practitioner, Maddison, we can offer you a listening ear, therapy and individualised support service, offering a confidential space to offload and recharge in Bearwood Community Hub's Therapy Room at Bearwood Yoga.
Appointments can also be arranged in a private space at our weekly Wednesday Warm Welcome if that suits you better. Sessions take place Tuesday to Friday (term time) between 9am-1.30pm.
To book an appointment email maddison.lifecoach@gmail.com or text/call 07719732352 during office hours (9am-3pm), from 4th September.
Co-Working open throughout September
Perhaps you’re working on a new project, or maybe you just need to get a few hours done away from the distraction of home or the kids? Come and give our co-working space a try!
Benefits of Bearwood Community Hub’s Co-working Space include:
A friendly, supportive & focused work space
High-speed Wifi
Options for Standing / Sitting Desks
Laptop raisers, wireless keyboard and mouse (Bluetooth USB) so there’s no need to carry all your accessories around
Second Screens available
A range of teas and coffees included
Self-entry options for flexible working hours
Local networking opportunities
Subscription / pay as you go options to suit you
Private spaces for meetings / calls*
Open ALL summer!
Starting from… FREE! Your first half-day here is free to try, just get in touch with Lizzie at communityhub@bearwood.cc to arrange your first visit, then it’s £5/half day to use.
* Additional charges apply
Grief Kind Space
On 20th May the very first Grief Kind Space in the Midlands opened in partnership with Bearwood Community Hub, Sue Ryder and the Dorothy Parkes Centre.
What is a Grief Kind Space?
They are weekly, in-person drop-in sessions held in the local community and run by trained volunteers. The sessions provide a safe, informal and supportive place for people to come together and share their experiences of grief, helping attendees to feel heard and less alone.
The sessions are welcoming, inclusive and open to anyone who is over 18 and has experienced a bereavement, whether you want to attend regularly to connect with others in similar situations or just drop in for a quick chat.
Drop in on Mondays between 10am - 12pm at Dorothy Parkes Centre for a friendly cup of tea and a safe space to talk about your grief.
Coming soon:
Birmingham Open Studios
28 - 29th September, 5 - 6th October
We’re taking part in Birmingham Open Studios again this year! Come along to Bearwood Coworking on Abbey Road on the last weekend of September and first weekend in October to catch some local artists in action! This year you can also find local artists displaying work at Lightwoods House & West Smethwick Park Pavillion!
Smethwick Arts Collective - "an arts centre without walls”
We are thrilled to be taking part in the Smethwick Arts Collective with Black Country Touring, The Parakeet CIC and Spectra Arts, thanks to funding by Heart of England’s Inclusive Communities.
Starting this Summer you’ll find a range of exciting and varied arts events happening in and around Smethwick!
Sandwell Borough of Sanctuary Films
Bearwood Community Hub and Black Country Touring have been working together with Forward Poetry Prize winning poet Bohdan Piasecki, to create four short films that challenge the negative narrative around migration by sharing authentic stories from local sanctuary seekers who have built new lives in Sandwell.
Follow Bohdan as he interviews four locals about their experience of moving to the UK and how they’ve made Sandwell their home. We set Bohdan the challenge of writing a poem inspired by each person he spoke to, within 24 hours of their conversation.
The first film will be launching online early September.
With big thanks to The Space for supporting and making this project possible.