B u s i n e s s P l a n

(inc. Feasibility Study, Public Consultation & Financial Forecasts)

taborcentre.org

1 4 t h D r a f t – A u g 2 0 1 5

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Contents

1. Executive Summary

2. Introduction

3. Background 4. Accountability, Personnel : Management, Staffing & Volunteering 5. The Development Proposal 6. Service Description 7. Service Delivery

8. More Regarding Service Monitoring and Evaluation 9. Service Need 10. Consultants For This Project 11. Market Assessment, Strengths & Weaknesses & Competition Analysis 12. Marketing Strategy 13. Charges 14. Funding

Appendices – 1. Tabor Centre Outline Programme of Works 2. Detailed Four Year Cash Flow Forecast 3. Integration with other Services in our Locality

4. Public Consultation Report

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1. Executive Summary of the Project

The Tabor Centre is an innovative project based in Brynmawr, which is in the Heads of the Valleys region of South Wales, in the Borough of Blaenau Gwent.

Project Aim

Our project aim is to address the lack of usable community space in Brynmawr and to provide a community hub where organisations and individuals can hire rooms, access learning opportunities and have increased levels of engagement and support.

The Need: The following is a summary of identified needs in Brynmawr, Blaenau Gwent (more detail in section 8 of this document). Brynmawr has a need for:

Provision:

Brynmawr has a lack of suitable and available community space to hire for conferences, training and service delivery to the public.

Support:

Blaenau Gwent has the highest level of income deprivation within the whole of Wales and the highest percentage of areas which are amongst the 10%, 20%, 30% and 50% most deprived in Wales on the Wales Multiple Deprivation Index 2014. As a result many struggle with issues of debt, struggles to feed their families, as well as other issues connected with living in deprivation, such as depression.

Engagement:

Recent research has indicated a low sense of belonging within communities in Wales where there is a particularly high level of deprivation. Much of Blaenau Gwent falls into this category, as having the highest levels of deprivation in Wales.

Learning:

Blaenau Gwent, out of all of Wales, has the highest percentage of a failure to reach the recommended educational levels in all of the key stages at primary and secondary education. As a result there are many who have not developed their full potential academically, and many who struggle in essential areas such as literacy and numeracy.

How Our Project Will Meet These Needs (Our Outcomes): We will renovate and transform a now defunct church building in the centre of Brynmawr and re-establish it, both as a place of worship for our community but also as a multi-purpose venue for hire by our community. This centre will mean:

Provision: More groups and individuals will be able to hire well equipped, flexible, facilities in their locality which are sustainable over the long term.

Support: More people will have increased access to support services, decreasing a sense of hopelessness. We will run Budgeting Courses, a Food Bank, a Job Club, a Youth Club and also host other public service providers.

Engagement: More people will have a greater level of engagement and increased sense of belonging to their local community.

Learning: More people will reach their potential and improve their lives through increased access to learning opportunities and skills development in the locality.

Income from rental will enable the project to be sustainable. There is nothing quite like this facility in our area and it will make a lasting difference here.

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2. Introduction

Our organisation, Valleys Family Church, has recently completed the purchase, without mortgage or encumbrance, of Tabor Baptist Chapel; a traditionally styled Welsh Chapel built in 1835. The building comprises of a main chapel area and gallery with additional adjacent rooms. All are in need of renovation and modernisation. We propose to develop the building into a multi-purpose facility for the wider community, whilst continuing its use as a place of worship for our Church. Our research suggests that there is a lack of suitable, adequate facilities in the local area that cater for the development of youth and adult groups in any number of activities and that the availability of this facility can encourage a great number of potential organisations who are, at present, discouraged from starting up due to the unavailability of suitable accommodation. We see the completed project as a catalyst for many other projects in the area.

We have performed a full survey of the building identifying the necessary refurbishment that needs to be undertaken. In addition we intend to construct a first floor in the main chapel building, thus providing a multi-functional, 200-seater auditorium, whilst maintaining the ground floor space and converting it to accommodate multi-purpose rooms suitable for seminars, a secondary smaller hall with breakout rooms, board room, office and storage space. This way we have made full use of all of the available space, cutting out the floor to ceiling void, without negating the original character of a 180 year old building. We will also convert the room adjacent to the main chapel into a kitchen and dining area for use in conferences and functions and also to act as a coffee bar/café meeting place. Above this area we will add office space, a crèche facility and toilets to serve the main hall. Accessible W.C's will be situated on both floors and present changes in floor levels will be rectified to promote access to all. Full details of the proposed ‘conversion’ can be found in section 5.

Proposed café facility Proposed breakout rooms (walls removed)

Proposed new 200 seat multi-purpose main hall/auditorium

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3. Background

Origins and Development of Our Organisation

Valleys Family Church began as a church which was planted out from Abergavenny Family Church (now known as Gateway Church, Abergavenny) in July 2006. Stuart Wheatman, who had been part of the leadership team in the Abergavenny Church, moved with his family at this time from Abergavenny to Brynmawr to lead the new Church. The Church initially met at the Rugby Club, Brynmawr. They moved venue and began meeting at Orchard Street Community Centre from January 2008, before moving again to their current venue of Blaenycwm School in 2011.

In April 2012 Valleys Family Church, having previously been known as Brynmawr Family Church, took on its current name to reflect the diversity of geographical areas represented in the congregation: Blaenavon, Blaina, Rassau and Ebbw Vale. At this time it became financially independent of the Church in Abergavenny and adopted its own Trust Deed and legal identity, having formerly come under the constitution of Abergavenny Family Church. Stuart Wheatman was employed by Valleys Family Church from April 2012 onwards and later that year Valleys Family Church purchased Tabor Chapel. In March 2013 Valleys Family Church completed the application process to become a charity and was granted charitable status by the Charities Commission (UK charity no. 1151216). On 3rd December 2014 Valleys Family Church registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation with Charities Commission (UK charity no. 1159465). On 29th April 2015 the former charitable trust was removed following its amalgamation into the new CIO.

Valleys Family Church is a member of the Evangelical Alliance UK and part of the worldwide family of Churches known as Newfrontiers. We are also a member of the Ecumenical Churches Together in Brynmawr, of GAVO (Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations) and of CCPAS (Churches Child Protection Advisory Service) having them as our umbrella body for child protection and receiving updates from them regarding changes in law and good practise.

Present and Future Constitutional Arrangements

We have five trustees responsible for the leadership of the trust and four people who take on the pastoral responsibility of the Church work, as well as numerous volunteers from the congregation serving in various roles. Stuart is employed full-time as the Pastor.

The Trustees have overall responsibility for the Tabor Centre project, but are joined by a wider project steering group made up of skilled, influential individuals from the local community. The project will also employ two people and have a centre management team.

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This will be discussed further in section four of this document.

Our Organisation's Aims and Objectives

As an organisation we have two objects which are:

'To advance the Christian faith in such ways as the Trustees from time to time may think fit'

'To relieve sickness and financial hardship and to promote and preserve good health by the provision of funds, goods or services of any kind, including through the provision of counselling and support in such ways as the Trustees from time to time may think fit'.

Valleys Family Church will continue to use the building as a place of worship on a Sunday and have some usage for meetings of a religious natur, but will maintain a clear distinction between the work of the project and the religious work of the Church.

Valleys Family Church promotes equal opportunities in accordance with its Equal Opportunities and Diversity policy and will run the centre adhering to this policy as well as its Christian ethos, reflected in our Ethos Statement. We have a rich history working with our local community and our regular activities include:

Schools work, taking regular assemblies and occasional lessons.

Running children's holiday clubs.

Running a regular youth club.

Running study groups.

Running a yearly open air drama production in the Easter holiday.

Proposed new first floor hall and two breakout rooms (walls removed to show details)

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We aim to show true concern for all people and to make a practical difference to their lives. Our charitable work includes:

We support and raise funds for other charities who seek to relieve sickness and poverty. We have raised money for World Vision, Compassion UK, Teen Challenge UK, Tŷ Hafan and sent shoe boxes to Samaritan's Purse.

We sponsor a child in Kenya through Compassion UK and promote their work to others.

We run CAP Money (Christians Against Poverty), a 3-week budgeting and money handling course. For those requiring further help referrals can be made through ourselves to a CAP money coach for longer term help as a free service. We aim to use the Tabor Centre as a resource to help more people with this course, and to also run a regular job club for our community.

For community areas affected by low income we have done a number of litter picks and fun outreaches for families.

We have also made referral to a local food bank on behalf of individuals, helping them to get ongoing support and part of this project aims to create our own food bank at the Tabor Centre.

4. Accountability, Personnel, Management, Staffing & Volunteering

Trustees

DAVID TUCKER - Chair of Trustees. He has a background working for Blaenau Gwent Council as a carpenter by trade. He was born and raised in Brynmawr and has a thorough knowledge of the locality helping to keep the trust relevant to the needs of the area. He is a man of high integrity and has a keen competitive side, enjoying sports and is a keen golfer. He is married with three children.

JENNIFER ALLIBONE BSc (hons) ACA - Trustee and Trust Treasurer. She has worked for many years as an accountant for BAE systems and has a high level of responsibility, helping to oversee others' work and travelling throughout the UK. She has much experience in staff management and team leadership as well as in developing and assessing good practice in accountancy. She loves to cook and offer hospitality. She is married with one child.

PATRICIA POYNTER - Trustee and Trust Secretary. Patricia works as an administrator for the NHS and has recently become our Trust Secretary after our last secretary moved out of the area. She has a history of working with GAVO (Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations) and also working in a job club in a nearby town. She has experience in delivering various

Tabor Centre entrance with new cycle rack and sliding door

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work-place training courses and has worked in the food industry. She is married with two children.

Dr. Gordon Baxter PhD BSc (hons) - Trustee Works for General Dynamics C4 Systems and has years of experience in systems engineering, project management and delivery, risk management, milestones and deliverables management. Gordon comes from Ireland. He has a keen interest in music and is married with two children.

STUART WHEATMAN RMN - Trustee Also works full-time in a pastoral capacity for Valleys Family Church. He has formerly worked as a qualified Psychiatric Nurse managing a day hospital and working throughout Gwent. He has served for the last eight years as a co-opted governor of a local school with experience in interviewing for various teaching roles including Head and Deputy Head, as well as supporting the school through inspection. He has previously served as a trustee to a youth cafe in Abergavenny. He originates from Surrey. His interests include computer programming and music. He is married with three children.

Management

Policies

Policies will be written by the trustees, the centre manager and centre management team. A large number of policies are available to view at our website taborcentre.org (use the following password: Tabor1066).

Trustees, however, will have the overall responsibility for policies and should be advised, consulted and given a copy of any new policies which are written.

Day to day decisions

The centre manager will be responsible for routine day to day decisions and general running issues of the building, with support from the centre management team.

Decisions which are likely to impact the running of the project, involve disciplinary matters or involve major change should involve the trustees.

Team supervisors are responsible for day to day decisions concerning their team, but should involve the centre manager where there are issues they cannot resolve or where decisions are likely to involve major change or impact the project.

Recording and communicating decisions

There will be a monthly Tabor management team meeting and decisions will be recorded by the meeting secretary in a central book and communicated to the teams via the team leaders and through email updates to relevant individuals.

Implementation of decisions

The implementation of decisions will be monitored by team leaders and fed back to the centre management team- the centre manager being a key point of contact and having overall responsibility for communication within the management team.

The paid manager and staff will work effectively with the trustees through monthly centre management team meetings.

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Payroll will be administrated through Stewardship which is a large organisation which serves charities and Churches to help them their financial administrative processes to run smoothly. The Trust's Treasurer will work with Stewardship and oversee budget matters with assistance from the Trustees when required.

Chart of management structure:

Staffing & Volunteering

Paid posts we will create to provide the service

Centre manager.

Cleaner/caretaker.

Skills required for these posts

Centre manager

Self motivated, friendly, welcoming and a good communicator and team player.

Leadership and management ability and confidence.

I.T. literate with good business, administrative and organisational sense. Ability to perform data analysis and assess, monitor and evaluate project outcomes and implement beneficial change.

Ability to set up and troubleshoot PA audio beneficial, or a willingness to learn.

Responsible, thorough, astute, conscientious, organised, punctual and reliable.

Sales & marketing experience beneficial.

Ability to understand, and comply with risk assessments. A good knowledge of the workings of the building.

Caretaker/ Cleaner.

Friendly, welcoming.

Responsible, thorough, astute, conscientious, organised, punctual and reliable.

Skills in DIY. Ability to understand, and comply with risk assessments. A good knowledge of the workings of the building. Proximity to venue desirable with flexible availability.

Hard working, conscientious and thorough with an ability to use all cleaning equipment effectively, knowing which products to use in the various areas. .

Understanding of Health & Safety and Environmental regulations (recycling). Understanding food hygiene (preferably having food hygiene certificate).

Trustees

Centre Management Team

Centre Manager Tabor Steering Team members

User’s representatives

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Volunteer posts we will create to provide the service

Youth Team

Made up of existing volunteers and new volunteers who have an interest and are able to provide a good application, and subject to DBS checks.

CAP Course

Made up of three volunteers presently who have done the CAP Money course training. Open to others to train and become involved.

Job Club

Made up of three volunteers presently who have done the CAP Money course training. Open

Food Bank

Made up of community volunteers.

Additional outside services we will use

In addition to these volunteering posts we will also be looking to provide work for existing businesses in the area in the form of catering for conferences and events in the building.

We are keen to encourage people into both volunteering and employment and will use potential candidates through volunteering and Jobs Growth Wales to assist the centre manager where possible and to develop other roles within the project.

Recruitment issues

Business Wales have helped us with looking into recruitment and will provide guidance regarding advertising posts externally and guidance in good practise.

The Trustees are experienced in interview situations through their background in a working context.

A recruitment budget has been set into our cash flow projections for the project.

Auto-enrolment for our posts will commence in May 2017 and a 3% increase in wages has been factored into the spreadsheets. Our responsibilities as employers mean we have to discuss Auto-enrolment with our Employees and give them the option to opt-out if they so wish.

Training requirements for staff and volunteers

Health and safety

Child protection and DBS checks

First Aid

Fire safety

Manual Handling

Food Hygiene

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Training courses necessary for staff and volunteers to do their job effectively and to keep them up to date have been covered in the project monetary forecasts.

How volunteers and paid staff will be recruited, inducted and supervised

Recruitment of staff

Centre Website including Social Media

Job centres. Relevant websites such as careerwales.com

Relevant recruitment agencies

GAVO emails and bulletins

Jobs Growth Wales bulletins

Other relevant contacts through our organisation

Appointment of staff

Appointment of volunteers will be by the trustees or by those delegated with this responsibility, i.e. the team leaders.

Appointment of paid positions will be by the trustees in conjunction with the Centre Management team and centre manager once appointed.

Appointment will be by interview and the right criteria being met.

Necessary references will be taken up. All roles involving contact with children or vulnerable adults will also require a clear DBS check being performed.

Induction of staff

Each successful candidate will receive a job description and named supervisor and induction period. Any necessary help will be provided by the supervisor and the rest of the team to help the individual progress effectively in their role.

At the end of the induction period the candidate will meet with their supervisor and be able to evaluate their progress. The supervisor will continue to be available in a helpful capacity to answer questions and provide support if needed and will meet from time to time as agreed with the individual.

Any training necessary will be provided and the individual will be given guidance concerning policies and procedures for the building and for their area of work.

Paid staff will receive a contract with their terms and conditions

Code of Practise for volunteering

Valleys Family Church operates under a code of practise for volunteering and a copy of this code of practise is enclosed.

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5. The Development Proposal

For the building to be fit for purpose as a facility, various works will need to be undertaken: The building survey and an additional geotechnical survey (available on our website taborcentre.org password: Tabor1066) have highlighted the following necessary repairs:

Wood decay/gaps to fascia’s/soffits

Leaking gutter joints and missing section of gutter

Damp to the property

Defective pointing, external render and stress cracks.

Defective internal rendered walls from damp.

Wet rot to timber windows

Defective floor joists/boarding. Wet rot to wall plate.

Boiler flue is presently too close to open-able window.

Slight bow to the back wall of the chapel building- not requiring immediate work to rectify, but recommended to be tied-in when a second floor is installed to prevent movement in the future.

Ground survey highlighted soft ground to a depth of 4-5m therefore recommending mini-piling and possible underpinning/alternative scheme if additional load is added.

(Pictured here: Existing Gallery)

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(Picture Above: Existing ground floor) Our proposed development comprises of the following:

Insert mini-piles according to scheme developed by structural engineer and mini-piling contractors.

Implement scheme of steel supporting beams and ties developed by structural engineer to support existing structure and allow for new added weight to the building.

Remove balcony area once existing structure is supported, including bracing bowed back wall.

Install second floor at gallery height to bring the place of worship/main meeting hall upstairs and to free the downstairs area to be used for a smaller hall with additional breakout rooms as well as an office, storage rooms and toilets including accessible W.C.

The beautiful wooden ceiling and ceiling rose upstairs will be kept and will be an asset to the new auditorium. Tie-in back wall to new floor.

Replace wooden floors with concrete beam and block providing a permanent solution to issues of damp and rot, as well as being simple to install and providing

Keeping Ceiling Rose & Wooden Panelling

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better fire protection, thermal insulation and acoustic dampening. Also this would enable us to rectify various changes of level in the existing ground floor, providing better access for all. Recommended by the Carbon Trust during their visit to the site.

Construct raised stage area in auditorium with integral baptistery.

Install a lift in place of an existing staircase to provide better access between floors for those with mobility problems. Also this will be beneficial for manual handling between floors as well as enabling funerals to take place upstairs without having to navigate a coffin up the stairs.

Form new internal staircase as a fire exit for both levels leading to a safe exit onto the street to the side of the building. Exit will include a refuge on first floor.

Upgrade existing staircase to modern building specifications (including landing and refuge) for safety.

Convert attic roof space over vestry into office space, storage area, crèche and toilet facilities (including accessible WC) with access from upstairs main hall on same level. Office space accessible from main stairs.

Remove damaged external render and re-render using a long-lasting quality render.

Replace damaged rainwater goods to outside of building and address any leaks/loose tiles.

(Picture above: First Floor as proposed)

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Install new zone-controllable boiler system and radiators throughout building. Remove loose internal render and apply foil-backed insulated plasterboard system to internal walls. Install lagging to roof-space. Where applicable replace single glazed wooden windows with double glazed UPVC.

Construct and equip kitchen, and café/coffee bar area at ground floor in vestry.

Install new electrics, LED lighting, PA system, projectors, Tannoy, stage lighting, hearing loop, audio-visual feeds, fire alarm and detectors, burglar alarm, CCTV, wireless networking, telecommunications.

Re-profile rear steps at the back of the building and level area, fix walls and gates around building.

Install doors and related hardware. Decorate, install furnishings, seating and tables, fixtures and fittings, reception desk into lobby area, signage.

A full walk-through visualisation in 3D of our proposed scheme is viewable on our website taborcentre.org A full Outline Specification can also be viewed in the document area of the site (use the following password: Tabor1066).

(Picture above: Ground Floor as proposed)

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6. Service Description

Our service provision relates to our four outcomes; and the services we will provide will enable us to successfully achieve those outcomes:

Outcome 1:Provision More groups and individuals will be able to hire well equipped, flexible, facilities in their locality which are sustainable over the long term. Service we will provide We will renovate and develop the Tabor building and extend its use as purely a place of worship into a multi-purpose centre for all the community. Individuals, organisations, businesses and statutory services will be able to hire the building, enhancing the local area and making it a better place to live. We will provide a service which has a strong focus on sustainability, maintaining the project for future generations to enjoy whilst maintaining low environmental impact. Our facility will be accessible to all due to ease of location and mobility considerations in the design. Outcome 2:Support More people will have increased access to support services, decreasing a sense of hopelessness. Service we will provide We will run a Food Bank, and give out food vouchers at the centre. We will arrange for those with unmanageable debt to access long term profession help through CAP services. We will also host other public service providers who are offering supportive services to the locality. We will become a signposting point for referral to other service providers in the area. We will also serve as a hot-desk, surgery or satellite service venue for larger organisations (such as NHS) and businesses which require a regular connection point in the locality without the cost of purchasing their own building. Outcome 3: Engagement More people will have a greater level of engagement and increased sense of belonging to their local community. Service we will provide Our building is easily accessible in the centre of Brynmawr and will become a social hub for the whole community, encouraging people from all backgrounds in the locality to come together for events and services run from the building and increasing community cohesion. In addition, we will run a weekly youth club for secondary school age, and we will enable and develop volunteering at the centre, helping to foster confidence and self esteem. We already have a wide range of community groups eager to use the building to develop their groups further and to engage more people.

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Outcome 4: Learning More people will reach their potential and improve their lives through increased access to learning opportunities and skills development in the locality.

Service we will provide We will run budgeting courses, and a job club, teaching people valuable skills and increasing their confidence in financial and employment matters. In addition to this, the centre will become a place of learning as it is a well equipped conference venue for organisations, public service providers and businesses to hire. The main hall will serve well for main conference talks, whilst the small hall, breakout rooms, cafe and board room serve as ideal rooms for seminars. It is an ideal venue for work-related statutory training courses such as First Aid, manual handling etc. amongst a host of other uses for training needs. It is also equipped with excellent audio, sound, Wi-Fi, projection, Tannoy system, crèche facility and audio-visual feed with potential for live audio streaming of conferences over the internet.

7. Service Delivery

Service Delivery for Outcome 1- Provision of the building as a facility for hire for the community

Schedule for building works and opening

There is an eight-month scheduled outline for the building phase of the project. This is a key time when we will be delivering a particular element of our first outcome to the community- that of a multi-purpose centre which will be a well equipped facility which is sustainable over the long term.

In month six of the building phase we will increase our advertising and marketing campaign ready for the opening of the building in month nine. We will also advertise then for the post of centre manager and cleaner/caretaker. Funds have been allocated in the budget for this purpose and we will arrange for a grand opening with a well known guest and dignitaries invited along with members of the public. This will be followed by 2-day period of open days for people to come and look at what is on offer and to encourage further bookings. The centre will then start running in proper on the following day.

Building administrative space allocation

The centre manager will have an office in the building. Another office in the building will be used by the pastor of Valleys Family Church and a further office will be for shared use between the church and the Tabor Centre project for photocopying and administration needs.

There will be a welcome desk in the lobby which can be used as required by the centre manager or by a group leader for welcoming guests to the building.

Bookings Process

Bookings for the building will go through the centre manager. The centre will operate an internet booking system through the website with hypertext links also on the Social Media sites of the centre. People will also be able to book by phone, mail or in-person. The bookings will arrive into, or be inputted into a central database which the centre manager will maintain and will liaise with the users to action the

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booking. It is the intention to divide the daily bookings into 60 minute time segments with potential users booking single or multiple segments in various rooms to suit their needs and budgets. Bookings will be recorded on a shared Google Calendar to avoid ‘double booking’.

Conditions and terms of booking the centre will be made available to all users and an agreement will be signed by users booking the hall. Bookings can be taken for the whole building, entire floors or particular rooms and heating can be zoned to save energy and costs

Key-holders and security

The centre manager and cleaner/caretaker will be key-holders responsible for opening up for events and securing the building. Both roles will be expected to show some flexibility and co-ordination in their work times. A nominated team from our organisation will serve as backup key-holders and will be contactable by the centre manager for emergencies and times they are not able to cover.

There will be a fire alarm, burglar alarm, and CCTV security installed.

The centre manager will be responsible for making sure users are aware of fire procedures, exits and assembly point, rules of the building, health and safety policy and location of First Aid kit and accident/incident book.

Yearly checks will need to be performed on Fire equipment by a qualified company, and building security and safety will need to be checked by the centre manager and caretaker on a regular basis and any potential health and safety areas of concern fed back to the Trustees and addressed promptly.

Catering

Guidance for the kitchen area of the project has been sought from Karen Moore, Environmental Health Officer for Blaenau Gwent. Particular advice has been taken regarding the flow of the kitchen to help prevent cross-contamination and the size has been increased to more appropriate levels for the size of premises.

The Kitchen premises will be registered with Blaenau Gwent Environmental Health Service no less than 28 days before opening. Any outside Food preparation organisations will be required to show proof that they are also registered with the Local Authority.

Good practise guidelines recommended by the Food Standards Agency will be adhered to regarding premises, food preparation areas, cleaning, and waste disposal. We will use risk assessments for food and follow a Food Safety Management System.

Good practise COSHH procedures will be followed regarding storage of substances potentially hazardous to health.

Food will be stored and segregated appropriately to prevent cross contamination and will be chilled and cooked to correct temperatures.

Catering requirements for groups using the building will be met by outsourcing to local caterers who will use the facilities in the centre to prepare and serve the food. Anyone using the kitchen to handle food must have an in-date food hygiene level 2 certificate.

There will not be a bar at the centre, but for certain functions such as weddings or social events we will arrange for a temporary license to cover the event when required.

All appliances used in the building will require PAT testing.

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Room setups

Rooms will be adaptable for different needs - the main auditorium will have a central carpeted area with soft-cushion stackable chairs which can be stored in a dedicated cupboard to the right of the stage area. This will free up a greater floor area for particular events which require it.

Centre Equipment and Facilities

The main auditorium will be equipped with a powerful multi-media projector for multimedia presentations. There will also be a full-range state-of-the art sound system with 24-channel mixing desk and monitoring for musicians. A lighting rig and light mixing desk will be installed for concerts and possible school plays/similar, as well as providing an ambience to the hall.

A crèche room on the first floor will have a visual link to the auditorium through a window as well as audio-visual monitors, so parents looking after children have peace of mind and are able to remain involved in events happening.

Two rooms downstairs will be equipped with whiteboards and multimedia teaching capability. There will also be flip-charts provided in these rooms for further communication options.

Storage on the ground floor will provide space for equipment such as parent and toddlers and youth club equipment as well as folding tables.

The ground floor hall will be multi-purpose for seminars, youth club, parent and toddlers etc.

Sustainability i. Project Sustainability Great care has been taken to ensure that this project is sustainable in the long term:

All initial costs for the project have been borne by Valleys Family Church. These include initial feasibility studies, architectural drawings, initial architect fees, initial QS fees, cost plan, Geotechnical ground survey, initial Structural Engineers fees, reports and initial drawings, Building Survey, Asbestos Survey and Testing, Planning Application fees amongst others.

Valleys Family Church will also commit £15,000 further to the project costs to act as a reserves buffer for the project.

We are applying to funders for the rest of the capital costs and for the revenue costs for the first three years of this project. Our plan is to cover all revenue costs this way in the first three years so that any income from hiring out the facility is re-invested into the project in preparation for year four when initial project funding ends.

Our aim is to be self-sufficient in year four and to use the accumulated funds from that time.

However, we will be continually monitoring that our income is meeting the predicted forecasts and we will be considering other funders for revenue for the fourth year income if actual income is significantly lower than predicted after the first year.

We have budgeted for the essential areas of paid employment for a successful project and plan to use volunteers to complement this to keep running costs at a minimum.

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ii. Sustainable Environment Ethos

The Tabor Centre is a project for this community where sustainability and especially resource efficiency have been integrated from the earliest stages of planning. This good practise will continue right through to the building completion and throughout the running of the centre. The current building has very poor energy performance and we have taken extensive advice from specialists regarding ways to make the building more sustainable as part of this project.

Recommendations from Business Wales' Resource and Efficiency Advisor

Early on in the project we arranged for a site visit from Iestyn Thomas, Resource and Efficiency Advisor for Business Wales. Iestyn was able to advise us on efficiency matters and on the creation of our environmental policy (see attached). The policy gives advice recommended procedures on the following topics:

o Environmental performance improvements. o Waste minimisation and management, including hazardous waste. o Energy efficiency. o Energy awareness. o Purchasing and office administration. o Environmental monitoring and calculating the carbon footprint. o Water monitoring and efficiency o Environmental awareness and risk assessment.

Iestyn's recommendations regarding good draft proofing and insulation were adopted by our architect in the scheme developed for the building. We looked at the option of Green Deal, but decided not to use this for the current project. Iestyn made helpful suggestions regarding our ongoing practise including areas such as moving towards electronic administration systems to reduce reliance on paper. We are trying to implement this practise where possible as an organisation, only printing out documents were necessary. We have scanned in numerous documents related to our project onto a password protected webpage on our project website so that documents can be accessed by relevant parties without the need to print them out.

Among the other suggestions made by Iestyn was route planning to minimise transport. We are aiming as an organisation to minimise transport and encourage greener methods where possible. The building will enable services outside Brynmawr to be accessible to locals without the need to travel by car or bus. Our plans for the building include a specific space and the required equipment at the front of the building to lockup bicycles. Use of Google maps also can help find shortest routes where transport is necessary for those using the facility from outside Brynmawr.

Recommendations from The Carbon Trust

We were then referred by Iestyn for an energy review and efficiency assessment undertaken by the Carbon Trust. The Carbon Trust came to look at the building, giving recommendations for insulation, performing calculations for lighting required and making recommendations on type of lighting as well as providing useful data on energy consumption and layouts of lights for the project.

They also gave us advice as we explored different possible heating methods, giving recommendations regarding type of heating and particularly analysed the options of under-floor heating and air source heating systems, both of which were not found to be the best options practically for this particular building (under-floor having too long

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a warm up period), but rather to go for the option of a water-based high efficiency radiator system with zone-able boilers as an adequate control to ensure heating and cooling reflects occupancy patterns. Radiators on the outer walls will have insulation pads fitted behind in order to reduce heat loss. Recommendations of thermostatic radiator valves were also made to reduce energy costs and wastage. We were able to discuss queries regarding the economic comparisons of both gas and electric heating and were able to make an informed decision.

Types of floors were also discussed with Carbon Trust with regard to ability to retain heat and insulate effectively as well as provide adequate sound proofing and fire protection for the various uses of the building. From these discussions came a decision on our part to use beam and block for the new floor of the building. Carbon Trust were also helpful to our architect who was able to liaise with them in discussions concerning U-values of the building.

We have also explored the viability of installing renewable electricity generation such as solar photovoltaic panels on the roof. This was investigated by Carbon Trust and found to be very worthwhile for this building. We have the costs priced up, but unfortunately have not been able to include it with this funding application as we are at the limit of the grant monies we are applying for. As a result, we are aiming to secure this funding at a date in the near future once the refurbishments are completed. If successful, the panels will be installed in accordance with criteria for town planning permitted development and be inset into the roof plane to reduce weight on the roof and improve aesthetics. We also looked at rainwater collection for the building but had to abandon plans for this due to space limitation and cost, however we may be able to revisit this in the future. We will be fitting dual flush on toilets to minimise water wastage.

We attended a Carbon Trust training day, together with HPC Wales on Green Computing. We learned much about ways to reduce energy waste by simple solutions such as turning off equipment rather than leaving on standby, having centralised switching where possible and the importance of location when considering servers. An excellent spin off from the training day with Carbon Trust and HPC Wales came when we were able to utilise the services of HPC Wales (High Performance Computing) to render a walkthrough visualisation for this project (see taborcentre.org) we had produced using their high speed supercomputers, again saving costs and keeping energy consumption down.

A copy of The Carbon Trust report is appended (restricted commercial) together with their calculations and recommendations regarding lighting and exploration of the viability of under floor heating.

Other Ways We Will Save Energy and Safeguard the Environment

The new works will be designed to exceed current Building Regulation standards and will include high levels of insulation in the new work, the original loft space, and localised lining of the external walls. New double glazed units will also be fitted in those windows currently lacking. Lighting will use low energy LED fittings controlled by PIR presence detectors in appropriate locations. Regarding ventilation it is intended that all areas other than kitchen and toilets will be naturally ventilated. The centralised switching of power and lighting controls has been considered. In addition to the energy saving measures outlined above the specification for the new building works requires the use of products with as much of a recycled content as is reasonably possible. All timber used will be required to be from sustainable sources and water saving fittings will be used in the sanitary installation.

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Outside space

There is a small amount of open space to the rear of the side hall but it is very shaded and currently has no green landscape. We are investigating the possibility of small areas of planting with raised beds which could be introduced when the area is tidied up, however, the space is somewhat limited. As discussed, the front of the building will allow for bicycle lockup.

Social Aspects of Sustainability

The intention to use the building for more community activities will strengthen ties within the local neighbourhood. The site is centrally located in Brynmawr and well served by public transport and other local amenities which therefore will increase use by those for whom the availability of private transport is limited.

The form of the original building was ideal for the intended use on a Sunday but limited in its flexibility to accommodate associated activities. The proposal to insert a new floor at balcony level creates a more useable worship area at first floor but also a range of rooms at ground floor for associated and other uses. This then creates the new opportunities for community engagement in countless activities, aiding sustainable community ventures right in the centre of Brynmawr

Economic Sustainability Within Brynmawr

As has been seen, Brynmawr town centre itself has struggled since the advent of a series of shopping outlets on the outskirts of the town, reducing the trade to the central local shops. The local cinema in Brynmawr, which was formerly run by the council, has now crossed over to the public through a Community Asset Transfer, and is being run as an effective cinema in the centre of town. This is a success story and it helps to bring more trade into the town centre. It is envisaged that The Tabor Project will also stimulate further interest and trade for the town centre shops as people use the facility.

Our Environmental Considerations Regarding Waste

We have fully adopted the principles of a waste hierarchy, assessing each area of potential waste and endeavouring to implement the highest actions possible from this hierarchy for each given situation:

o Firstly, we have made it a priority to minimise waste at source. This has meant that we have endeavoured to minimise unnecessary changes to the fabric of the building where possible within the development. The outside of the building will be repaired but will have the same look and feel, continuing its historic legacy as a historic building within this community. As one of the older buildings in Brynmawr (1835), the existing building has a significant impact on the townscape albeit only in a side street. The existing building is to be retained, adapted and refurbished. Retention is a key issue in not only reducing building costs but also helping to maintain the social fabric of the community. Moving inside the building, again changes will only be made where necessary. As an example of this, the beautiful wooden panelled ceiling and intricate ceiling rose will be kept for this development minimising unnecessary changes and waste.

o Next to re-use waste, either in its present form or in a converted form. Preliminary works prior to this application for funding have included the preparation of the site so that it is in a position to be handed over to contractors once funding is secured. During this process recycling opportunities have been implemented. Disused pews have been sold to a

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local company in Wales which reuses the wood for window sills in houses. o To re-cycle where possible. Up to this stage of the project, metals products

within the property which have not been able to be reused on the project have been sold for recycling usage locally. In this way any waste to landfill has been minimised.

o To recover energy where re-cycling is not possible. o To finally dispose appropriately when all other options have been exhausted.

We will segregate hazardous wastes from non hazardous wastes e.g. end of life lighting and other waste electrical and electronic equipment. We will signing up to a process to remain up to date with environmental legislation. We will joining a trade waste scheme with the local authority and retain waste management documentation showing collections of waste from the premises.

Accessibility

Welsh Language- As our project is based in Wales we will endeavour to make it accessible to Welsh speakers as their preferred language. Our website has a plugin (accessible in the top right overflow menu) which toggles each page of the website between Welsh and English. We will make each sign in the building bi-lingual and endeavour to make resources available bi-lingual where possible. A member of our organisation is Welsh speaking as first language and we will use his services for translation requirements.

Great care has gone into the building designs of this project to maximise accessibility for all. Floors will be levelled where there are presently imbalances and a new easily accessible sliding entrance door with push button operated opening and closure will be installed. A lift will be installed to make both floors accessible to all, and accessible toilets will be installed on both floors. These toilets will also have showers installed, which will further diversify the practical applications of the building, equipping it to deal with personal hygiene requirements. An example of possible usage would be for a satellite or interim day hospital usage.

We will be installing a hearing loop in the main hall for those with hearing aids fitted.

Signs in the building will include Braille.

Bike lockup provision has been provided at the front of the building to encourage this mode of transport thus protecting the environment.

The centre is on a major bus route so is accessible for those travelling by bus.

Tabor is right in the centre of Brynmawr so is easily accessible on foot.

For those driving, there are three free car parks close by.

We want to be inclusive to those with young children at the centre and so we have made access for prams and buggies a priority with buggy storage and space for double pushchairs factored into designs. The crèche just off the main hall includes a window to the main hall and audio-visual feed so parents can look after their children in another room if they desire and still not miss out on what is being shared in a conference talk.

I.T. inclusion

Our emphasis on I.T inclusion means that: o Wi-Fi and wired internet will be available to users throughout the building. o Groups and individuals hiring the facilities will have access to means of multi-

media data projection. o Internet streaming of conference talks will be an option for users, as well as

recording video footage of sessions.

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o The use of internet based learning schemes can be explored by users. For instance, a group of up to two hundred people will be able to sit in the main hall and learn a new skill through watching a video teaching lecture streamed over the Internet.

o The potential for collaborative exploration can be developed through means such as Google hangouts so that national and even international conferences with multi-way communication can take place, where comments and questions can be asked and answers received in real time.

o The availability of professional sound and lighting at the centre will further enhance the multi-media capabilities of groups hiring the building, enabling them to effectively engage their target audiences and service users.

Monitoring for outcome 1- More groups and individuals are able to hire well equipped, flexible, facilities in their locality which are sustainable over the long term

The numbers of groups and individuals hiring the facility will be the first indicator that this outcome is actually being realised. The first year will have 3 months of running after the building works. In these three months we aim to have 8 groups making bookings and 12 individuals making bookings. In year two of running we aim to have 25 groups booking and 50 individuals. In year three of running we aim to have 33 groups and 60 individuals. This makes a total of 66 groups and 122 individuals making bookings of the initial three year period. This information will be recorded and tracked by the centre manager using a database.

The numbers of people accessing I.T services and equipment in the facility will be the second indicator that this outcome is being realised. In the first three months we aim to have 65 people using I.T. facilities and equipment. We aim to have 350 people in the second year and 400 people in the third year, making a total of 815 in the initial three years. This information will be recorded on a consolidation questionnaire given to all groups and users and passed on to the centre manager to collate and record in the stats.

The monetary inflow exceeding the outflow each year by an amount which secures the long term project sustainability will be the third indicator that this outcome is being realised. This will be monitored by the centre manager and the Trustees. Our plan is to have funding for all revenue costs in the first three years to enable us to be self-funding in the fourth year. For this to happen, we work on a budget whereby we store the income generated in the first three years to pay for year four onwards. From our budget, having all revenue costs met by funding in the first three years, we predict a £20,640 income from rental in the first year, £30,840 income in the second and £41,820 income in third year. This makes a total income of £93,300 which will be invested into the fourth year for wages and other revenue. We will monitor the income closely and if there is a shortfall after the first year we will arrange for other revenues of funding to make the project sustainable. We have a range of other potential funders for revenue we can approach if this is the case, but we will endeavour first to reach out targets by all means.

In addition to the above monitoring we will also monitor our Carbon Footprint and endeavour to keep it at the lowest value, showing good practise to protect the environment and maximise project sustainability as well as helping towards building a sustainable community for our area, now and for the future.

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Outcome 2- Provision of support to our community Food Bank

There is a lack of a Food Bank facility in Brynmawr and so we will start one as part of the project. We have liaised with the Network Director of the Trussell Trust (the UK's largest Food Bank network), Adrian Curtis, who also is involved in the running of the Blaenau Gwent Food Bank in Ebbw Vale. This is the central depot, and Blaenau Gwent runs Food Banks in Abertillery, Nantyglo and Beaufort, all as Distribution Centres with Ebbw Vale being the main Depot.

Our proposal is to come under the Blaenau Gwent Food Bank as a Distribution Centre, as this will work the best for our project and will mean the Food Bank can run in a smaller space than if we were an independent Food Bank.

Looking at the opening times for Food Banks in Blaenau Gwent, every day in a working week is covered by other Banks except Monday and Friday mornings. Our proposal is to open for two hours on these mornings so that Blaenau Gwent provides a comprehensive service to users throughout the working week.

We will run the Food Bank will run with volunteers from the local community and the small central room off the lower hall will function as the storage room for the food.

We will also use the centre as a place to give out Food Bank vouchers to those in need of this. We currently already have done this as an organisation for a couple of years but until now have not had the opportunity to open a Food Bank which this project now allows.

CAP debt support

For people who have completed the CAP Money course (see Outcome 4:Learning) who have unmanageable debt we can make a referral for extensive free debt resolution program from CAP professionals working on the client's behalf. This will mean the CAP organisation will work out an action plan over a period of time for the individual to become debt-free. The service is a highly acclaimed award winning service available to all regardless of age, gender, faith or background. We will be looking to work closely with our nearest CAP Debt Centre on this, which is based in Beaufort.

Equipping existing local organisations

In addition to these areas of support we will be providing from the centre we will also have organisations using our facilities who are providing supportive services for our community. Their use of the Tabor Centre will enable them to become more effective at this and impact more lives, due to the flexibility, quality and feel of the environment and excellent facilities available at the centre. Anna Chard who leads Communities First North Ebbw Fach Cluster has become part of our supportive steering group for the project and is keen to see increased facilities in our area for such organisations. We have already been approached by a number of such interested local organisations as illustrated in Phase three of our Community Consultation Document (attached).

Further equipping statutory services

In addition to the contacts we have through GAVO and Communities First we are also in contact with statutory services with regard to how we may facilitate their impact on the community. We are in discussion with local PC's regarding their use of the facility for weekly surgeries in the community and for other purposes such as larger consultation meetings with the community and for training needs. In addition,

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we have two local G.P's serving on our steering group who are looking at the practical outworking of such a facility regarding health services, such as a venue for particular clinics.

Hotdesking and satellite services

We will also serve as a hot-desk, surgery or satellite service venue for larger organisations (such as NHS) and businesses which require a regular connection point in the locality without the cost of purchasing their own building.

Joined up services

The Tabor Centre will become a facility where different organisations can offer services under one roof, allowing for more joined up services to this local community. For example, we have had much interest from a self-help group which supports women who have looked after children as a result of issues in their lives such as problems with addiction. This group helps women to relate better and maintain good communications with Social Services. Being a neutral venue, the Tabor Centre becomes a possible meeting point between social workers and both parties, or for social workers to drop in on such a self-help meeting and deliver an information session to a group of interested clients.

The building is ideal for the delivery of conferences involving multiple organisations, such as a conference on an issue such as tackling poverty. It allows for a main seminar to happen in the main hall and then for different organisations or services to deliver seminars in the various breakout rooms.

Tabor will be an excellent venue for multi-disciplinary team meetings as it provides a neutral venue which is versatile, easy to get to for all parties, and well equipped.

Signposting and referrals

We will become a signposting point for referral to other service providers in the area. As an organisation we have previously referred people for rehabilitation programs for issues of addiction to a number of facilities in Wales. The centre will become a place where support information will be provided for different services relevant to the community through leaflets available in a display in the lobby. The centre manager will also have access to a database of local organisations and will be able to refer people to these different areas for support. Some of the organisations on the database may also have groups running in the building and the referral may be as simple as the individual turning up to a 'drop-in' group on a particular day at the building.

Monitoring for outcome 2- More people have increased access to support services, decreasing a sense of hopelessness

The numbers of people accessing this project's Food Bank will be the first indicator that this outcome is actually being realised. The first year (3 months) of running after the building works we estimate 40 people will access the Food Bank. The second year we estimate there will be 150 people, and in the third year 200 people. This makes a total of 390 people accessing the Food Bank over the first three years of the project. These stats will be recorded and go into the Blaenau Gwent Food Bank central database, but will also be fed back for our records for the project.

The numbers of people referred to outside agencies or seen by outside agencies using the centre will be our second indicator. Our target for the first year (3 months) is that 50 people are referred or seen by support agencies using the building. Our target for year two is 210 people and 250 people for year three making a total of 510 over the first three project years. These stats will be gathered by the centre

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manager through evaluation forms given to groups and users of the building as well as through a referral book/database kept in accordance with required levels of confidentiality (i.e. names will not be used) and according to data protection procedures.

The numbers of people indicating they feel more positive about the future after finding support through the centre will be our third indicator. Our target for the first three months of running is 35 people indicating they feel more positive about the future. For the second year our target is 130 people, and 160 people in the third year, totalling 325 people over the first three years of the project. This is a 'soft outcome' and to measure this we will use an outcome star scale to assess user's feelings on their first session and last sessions in groups or activities that they attend in the centre. For these forms to be completed in the first place a good relationship between the centre manager and the groups hiring the facility will need to be maintained to motivate groups about the importance of these forms. It will be mentioned in the hiring conditions that there will be an expectation that groups and individuals hiring the facility will be required to fill out survey forms for our stats.

Outcome 3- Provision of increased engagement to our community Publicity and engagement

For the centre to become a place of engagement for the community a high level of ongoing publicity will need to be maintained. In addition to printed advertisements throughout the area, we are maximising the potential offered through Social Media. We have a Facebook Page and Twitter Account set up to help network users, elicit opinions and promote the work of the centre.

Position of the building

The position of the Tabor building in the centre of Brynmawr, with such good accessibility means that it is in the right location to become a social hub for the whole community, encouraging people from all backgrounds in the community to come together for events and services run from the building and increasing community cohesion.

Increased engagement for the youth

In addition, we will run a weekly youth club for secondary school age. This club is presently meeting weekly in another venue which is about to close. Our aim is to transfer the club to the Tabor Centre building and to grow the club further in a better equipped environment.

Volunteering

We will enable and develop volunteering at the centre, helping to foster confidence and self esteem. We will work hard to train, encourage, oversee, equip and develop volunteers and have a volunteering policy in place. We want to develop a culture of accountability and excellence where monitoring and evaluation can take place leading to progress and healthy change, and where success is celebrated by all.

Increased Engagement for Existing Organisations

We already have a wide range of community groups eager to use the building to develop their groups further and to engage more people.

As the building will be available for hire for community events we anticipate

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increased numbers of people attending events in this community generally through the availability of this new resource. As an example of this, there is a yearly BNB (Brynmawr, Nantyglo and Blaina) Arts and Heritage Festival which was originally started up by the Brynmawr Business Forum, but now is a separate Trust. The Tabor building was used this last year for a couple of the sessions, but in a very limited way due to the need for the building to be refurbished. Once the building has been refurbished and developed it will realise a number of rooms which could be used for this festival for years to come, encouraging greater engagement generally from the community. The Town Partnership organise events each year for Brynmawr and are very interested in the potential of the Tabor building to increase overall engagement at events within the Town. The leaders of both groups have been asked to be a part of the steering group for the Tabor Centre project.

Monitoring for outcome 3- More people have a greater level of engagement and increased sense of belonging to their local community

The numbers of people using the building (not just hiring, but using) will be the first indicator that this outcome is being achieved. In the first three months we aim for 400 people to use the building. In Year two our aim is for 1600, and 2000 in year three, making a total of 4000 during the first three years of the project. These stats will be recorded by the centre manager on a main database through stats which will be required of all users on each occasion of using the building.

The numbers of users reporting they feel less isolated and have a greater sense of belonging to their community will be the second indicator that this outcome is being realised. For the first three months of running we are aiming for 10 users to indicate this, rising to 50 users reporting this in the second year, and 65 in the third year, totalling 125 over the first three years of the project. As this is a 'soft outcome' it will be measured with an Outcome Star at the start of their involvement with the centre, and after a set time of being involved.

The numbers of people involved in volunteering will be the third indicator that this outcome is being fulfilled. In the first three months we aim for 30 volunteers total, in the second year 85 volunteers and in the third year 95 volunteers, making 210 in total over the first three years of the project. This will include volunteers in groups that hire the centre as well as volunteers in groups that we run ourselves. Stats will be obtained through forms completed by each group and passed on to the centre manager.

Outcome 4- Provision of increased learning to our community Budgeting training course

We will deliver the CAP Money Course, which is a course delivered over three sessions which teaches people how to budget effectively and manage their finances. We currently have three people trained up to deliver the course to users of the service. Users of this service get the chance to use an innovative online tool to help them fill out a budget for themselves. They are taught principles regarding saving and how to arrange bank accounts in a practical way that facilitates good financial management. For those with ongoing unmanageable debt issues a referral can also be made to the free CAP debt support service.

Job Club

We will also run a CAP Job Club. These clubs help jobseekers gain the tools, skills and confidence to step back into employment. They provide a combination of

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practical and emotional support, and as such, are highly recommended by the Department of Work and Pensions. We will work closely with Abertillery and Beaufort in running this job club, who are looking to commence similar projects through CAP.

Conference Venue

The centre is particularly well suited to being used as a conference venue. Please see details concerning this on the outcome highlighting the provision of a building facility.

Great care has been taken to look at the conference facilities locally and further afield in our Scoping Survey. As our survey illustrates, this facility will be providing something much needed in our area which is not fully realised in any other local venue. As a result we envisage a strong uptake for conference and teaching applications by organisations in this area. We already have a number of interested organisations who have completed a form of interest and indicated which rooms they would be interested in hiring and on what frequency.

There is the potential for the building to be used to deliver training for work-based needs such as Health and Safety, Manual Handling, First Aid, COSHH etc. It will be the role of the centre manager to promote this aspect with local businesses and to facilitate the development of a working relationship with a local provider able to provide training in the Tabor Centre for local groups and businesses.

We aim to also engage local food businesses for the provision of food for the conference venue, again see the outcome highlighting the provision of a building facility for more details.

Monitoring for outcome 4- More people reach their potential and improve their lives through increased access to learning opportunities and skills development in the locality

The numbers of people who access learning opportunities and skills development will be the first indicator showing whether we are achieving this outcome. This will be where there is a particular learning aspect we are providing in a group, or where the centre is hired for a learning based purpose. In the first three months we aim for 50 people to access learning opportunities in the Centre. In the second year our target is 200 people, and in the third year 220, making a total of 470 people accessing learning opportunities in the centre over the initial three years of the project. Numbers will be fed back from the groups by questionnaire to the centre manager to input into a database.

The numbers of unemployed attending a job club will be our second indicator. This is placed in a learning outcome because of the self-improvement and learning aspects of a job club- people come, not only to look for work but to improve their skills in interview, write up a C.V, develop their level of confidence etc. In the first three months of running we aim to have 15 people attend a job club. In the second year we plan for 30, and in the third year 40, making a total of 85 in the first three years of the project. These figures will be fed back to the centre manager to go on the database.

The numbers of people attending the CAP Money course will be the third indicator that this outcome is being fulfilled. The reason why this course comes in the learning outcomes is that it teaches a skill- budgeting. The CAP debt support comes under a different outcome because it is a support service offered to those in debt, so there is a distinction between the two in our outcomes. In the first three months we aim to have 15 people attend a CAP Money course in the centre. In the second year, our aim is for 30 people to attend this course, and 40 people to attend in the

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third year, making a total of 85 people doing the CAP money course in the first three years of the project. Statistics will be fed back to the Centre Manager and kept on a database.

8. More Regarding Monitoring and Evaluation of Services

One of the key roles of the centre manager will be to monitor that our service delivery is reaching the desired levels to achieve our outcomes. For this, a number of methods will be utilised:

1. Quantitative Evaluation

There are three indicators per outcome required by Big Lottery which must be closely monitored by the centre manager, and the information collated, reported, and then assessed and evaluated by the wider team including Centre Management Steering team and the Trustees. We will, however, also monitor more indicators tin addition to our requirement by Big Lottery, such as numbers of young people using our services, the Carbon Footprint of the building etc.

To obtain numbers using the building there will be visitor books which will be required to be signed by users of the building. To obtain further details, such as the difference the groups have made, there will be feedback and evaluation forms given to different groups using the building and this will be explained in the conditions of hiring.

Our funders will require regular feedback from the Trustees regarding the levels of the outcome indicators so communication and good practise will be key.

2. Qualitative Evaluation

In order to drive change forward in the organisation we will listen well to service users and provide many different means of them providing feedback. There is a Twitter Feed, Facebook page to connect with users, but also they will be able to email through the website and fill out evaluation forms and questionnaires when using the facilities.

Further means of qualitative evaluation will be arranged through the use of structured and unstructured focus groups and interviews.

3. Formative and Summative Evaluation

Formative evaluation will be ongoing through the three years of the project and will look at both the quality and the quantity of what we are achieving.

Summative evaluation will take place towards the end of the first three years of the project and we plan to have a celebration day to highlight the successes and publicise the achievements to a wide audience. Particular milestones along the way will also be publicised and celebrated to increase momentum and enthusiasm.

4. Internal and External Evaluation

In order to manage our budget constraints effectively most of our evaluation will be done internally, but we have allocated a budget for monitoring and will obtain outside services to complement our internal evaluations by arranging for local University students to provide this external service as a supportive external evaluation process.

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9. Service Need

The need for our outcomes: PROVISION, SUPPORT, ENGAGEMENT and LEARNING 1. The need for PROVISION of community facilities for hire within our community The need based on personal experience as an organisation As an organisation living and working in this community for the last nine years we have gained a good understanding of the needs within this community. We ourselves have hired community buildings to deliver our services to this community over these last nine years and have first-hand experience that there is indeed a lack of suitable facilities for hire for multi-purpose use within the community of Brynmawr. We have witnessed first-hand the low morale in this community as services and facilities have closed due to budget constraints and austerity measures. It is our assessment that this community is in desperate need of a vibrant community building which becomes a hub for varied and numerous events.

There is a lack of facilities in the area for quality conference venues, which are not only able to seat larger groups of 200 people but have the facility for breakout group seminars and the provision of catering.

There is a need for a social gathering place. There are a huge number of people living in Brynmawr area with little social outlet outside of pubs and nightclubs.

There is a need for a facility where debt and money-management can be discussed and help given. Debt is a major problem in this area with deprivation and high levels of unemployment in the region compounding this. There is a need for job clubs to increase in this area.

There is a need for the Youth of the area to have a facility that distracts them from the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse and gives them an alternative focus.

There is a need for a facility for potential micro-businesses such as Weight Watchers, Slimming World, Pilates classes to flourish as well as for organisations to hire to deliver their services more effectively.

The need for based on historical changes in the area

Brynmawr has suffered some difficult blows over the years. Coal mining, Ironworks and steelworks closures and the closure of the Dunlop Semtex factory once hailed as a 'masterpiece of the modern age' was a huge blow. Top architects have applauded the former Dunlop Semtex works, from Frank Lloyd Wright to Paul Zara, director of architecture for Sir Terence Conran. The factory was sadly demolished in 2001 and an Asda supermarket has been constructed on the former site as well as a row of other shops.

The construction of the Asda store has led to an increase in visitors to Brynmawr in general but sadly the once thriving town centre is now struggling as people use a large supermarket in preference to the local shops. As a result of this a Town Partnership has been formed to try to bring more of a focus to the town centre. Our project is situated right in the town centre and will help redress the balance, making the town centre again more of a hub for the community.

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The Market Hall (1894). As its name suggests, the hall was initially built to hold a weekly market, however it has been a cinema since the early 1900's. Recently the Council decided to close the cinema amid much protest from locals. The cinema is again in the centre of the town and its closure threatened further to destroy the sense of community within the town. Fortunately, the cinema has been saved for the time being by a volunteer group but only time will tell if this is sustainable.

Nantyglo leisure centre is situated next to the site of the demolished Nantyglo Comprehensive School. It has been a lifeline for the communities of Brynmawr and Nantyglo but has now sadly been closed by the Council to save money and pool resources at the new site in Ebbw Vale. This will further compound the issue of a lack of facilities for young people in the area. There is no dedicated area in the town centre where they can meet and so many end up gathering in the local park or the town square indulging in under-age drinking, leading to petty crime, primarily through boredom and a lack of an alternative focus. This then leads to them becoming a challenge for the Police. Boredom amongst young people leads to other problems such as experimentation with drugs and, in particular, the new, highly addictive and dangerous phenomenon, Meow Meow, which has become all too prevalent in South Wales Valley communities.

Blaenau Gwent is known, through ongoing government statistics, to be an area where there are considerable signs of multiple deprivation. Deprivation is a wider concept than poverty. Poverty is usually considered to be a lack of money, whereas deprivation includes a lack of the opportunities and resources to which we might expect to have access to in

(Picture above: Brynmawr town centre with Cenotaph and Market Hall Cinema)

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society such as good health, protection from crime and a clean and safe environment. A key aim of this project is to lessen and reverse the impact of the commercial and social setbacks that Brynmawr has suffered in the recent past. It is fully recognised by the Welsh Assembly Government that some serious work and investment has to be made in the South Wales Valleys in order to address the continued deprivation in these areas. Our project will certainly play its part in that programme. The need based on the views of the community We are aware that this project needs to arise from what the community itself perceives as the need, rather than any organisation making assumptions. For this reason, we worked with GAVO (Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations) to formulate a three phase Community Consultation to assess the views of our local community as to what they feel is needed in Brynmawr. The results of this consultation are presented in our Consultation Document. 2. The need for SUPPORT within our community The need to thrive was highlighted as a major requirement for this local authority in ‘The Blaenau Gwent Strategic Needs Assessment 2012’. Blaenau Gwent is very familiar with deprivation as we can see from the following graphs (figs. 1a and 1b) illustrating the results of the last two assessments of the Wales Index of Multiple Deprivation (2011 and 2014). This scale looks at various aspects of deprivation, not only monetary poverty. It shows that on both surveys out of the whole of Wales Blaenau Gwent has the highest proportion of LSOAs that fall within the 50% most deprived (LSOAs are ‘lower super output areas’- smaller areas each Borough is comprised of). On both surveys Blaenau Gwent also has the highest proportion out of the whole of Wales of LSOAs in the 30% most deprived category, and in the 2011 assessment it came second only to Merthyr as having the highest percentage of LSAO’s in the 20% and 10% most deprived. However, in the 2014 assessment, it can be seen that Blaenau Gwent sadly tops the charts at every percentage, even the 20% and 10% most deprived in the whole of Wales. This is a worrying trend, showing that, rather than the issue of deprivation being addressed in the last three years, it has actually become worse. It also vividly illustrates that the more deprived the areas are, the worse they have become (as shown in the rise in the blue and red areas at the bottom of the charts when the 2014 results are compared to the 2011 results).

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Figure 1a

Figure 1b

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The 2011 and 2014 rankings also reveal Blaenau Gwent as the most deprived out of the whole of Wales with regard to income, having the highest percentage of workless households. The following charts illustrates this (figs. 2a and 2b):

Figure 2b

Figure 2a

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The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation looks at a variety of factors and aspects of deprivation. With regard to children in poverty Blaenau Gwent again ranked the highest in Wales (fig. 3):

This high level of deprivation leads to increased issues with debt in our community. The Blaenau Gwent Strategic Needs Assessment in 2012 showed this report highlighting debt as a huge proportion (alongside benefits) of the reasons people go to the Citizen’s Advice Bureau (fig. 4).

Figure 3

Figure 4

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3. The need for ENGAGEMENT within our community There is a great need for engagement in our Borough in order that people develop a sense of belonging to their local community. The National Survey for Wales 2014 asked a sample of 14,700 people from all over Wales a series of questions. One of these questions was ‘Do you have a feeling of belonging to your local area?’ The results of the questionnaire were grouped according to the Wales Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD). The results found that the 20% most deprived of the population were the least likely to experience a ‘strong’ sense of belonging to their community (fig.5). When we look at the previous graph (see fig. 1b) of the results of the Welsh Index of

Multiple Deprivation we see that Blaenau Gwent has the highest proportion within this 20% category. Again looking at the National Wales Survey 2014, the strong link between deprivation and a poor community feeling of belonging was also shown to be reflected in relation to people’s social economic grouping (NS-SEC). The survey results show us that it is those who have never worked and the long-term unemployed who have the least sense of belonging to our community (fig. 6). A comparison with fig.2 shows this to be the case particularly with Blaenau Gwent. The results of the National Survey for Wales 2014 illustrate well the strong link between deprivation and a lack of belonging within our community. However, what is surprising is that, on the other side of the scale, where deprivation is the least the sense of belonging is surprisingly not at its greatest point either (see fig. 5). Also, as shown by the last graph (fig. 6), those with managerial and professional occupations did not score particularly high with regards to their sense of belonging to the community. So, what conclusions do we draw

Figure 5

Figure 6

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from these survey results and how do we increase the feeling of belonging within our borough of Blaenau Gwent? A reduction in deprivation in general is obviously needed. However, as the survey indicates, just tackling deprivation alone will not automatically bring about a sense of community belonging for everyone; other factors also need to be looked at. A key area to address is the issue of how well our communities make provision for people to actually meet others and connect. Closures in the Steel, Coal and Iron industries in the Welsh Valleys, as well as the decline in reliance on the high street due to the internet and superstores have all contributed to increased isolationism and a lack of belonging. Central community hubs, accessible places where groups can meet, socialise and engage in activities together, and feel a part of the wider community are a crucial part of a healthy community identity. This is what we feel is sadly lacking in our community, particularly in certain areas within Blaenau Gwent such as Brynmawr, Nantyglo and Blaina. The lack of a sense of belonging in our community will in turn have an impact on levels of interpersonal conflict and also levels of crime within the area. The 2014 National Survey for Wales showed again that it was the same 20% most deprived (a key factor in our borough) who considered it less likely that their locality would treat one another with respect and consideration (fig. 7).

Figure 7

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A comparison to other boroughs in England and Wales as part of the 15 ‘most similar groups’ (MSG) showed a concerning rise above the mean for violence against the person (fig. 8). Part of the known reason for this rise above the mean is a high level of offences in certain town centres in the Borough (such as Brynmawr) at night. Various reasons could be examined for this, but one factor must be the lack of buildings and facilities available, where people can meet and socialise, other than the public houses.

Police in Blaenau Gwent have held various consultations with the local community to ascertain their views and feelings about crime in their community. One is known as ‘PACT’ (Partners And Communities Together). In 2011 their survey flagged up ‘anti-social behaviour’ as the key perceived area which the public felt needed addressing in Blaenau Gwent (fig. 9). Where there is a lack of a sense of belonging and engagement within a community anti-social behaviour will not be far behind.

Figure 8

Figure 9

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There seems to be a high proportion of young people particularly in Brynmawr who are not engaged in meaningful activities, and congregate on the streets, which worries older members of the community. A report of the ‘Living in Blaenau Gwent’ survey in 2009 (taken from the BG Strategic Needs Assessment of 2012) highlights the concerns locals have, particularly about disengaged youths ‘hanging around on the streets’ (fig. 10).

4. The need for LEARNING within our community Blaenau Gwent has a strongly identified need for lifelong learning according to an extensive assessment performed in 2012 (The Blaenau Gwent Strategic Needs Assessment 2012). This means that educational opportunities are to be made available for all ages. When we look at the tables of educational results in Blaenau Gwent compared to all the other boroughs in Wales we can see why education has been highlighted as a priority need in Blaenau Gwent (figs. 11-14):

Figure 10

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Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 14

Figure 13

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From the analysis of results coming from the schools we see that our Borough of Blaenau Gwent consistently comes lowest in pupil achievement on the core subject level. This is a grave cause for concern and it further compounds the problem of deprivation in the area and has an effect on our children right through into their adult lives unless addressed. There are now generations in our community, a large percentage of which have left school lacking the achievement of their expected educational levels. Therefore, the problem cannot simply be addressed at a school level; we must also make diverse educational opportunities desirable, available and accessible to adults who would not normally venture into a traditional educational establishment.

Current and proposed beneficiaries or users of our service

Current Beneficiaries

At present, the Church provides various services for the community:

CAP Money is a free three-week money-handling course. We have had to do this in homes so far; so the venue will allow for a larger number of attendees.

Our youth club, 'The Hub', has been running since September 2010 and presently has 21 young people on the books with an average regular number of 12 attending each session, presently once a week. Tabor Centre will provide a permanent base for the club where local youth can connect and have fun through various activities such as snooker, table-tennis, consoles, and karaoke. Each session also features team-building games and motivational talks.

School assemblies and lessons. We presently go into two local primary Schools on a regular basis- Blaenycwm Primary and St. Mary's CIW Primary School. We take whole school assemblies weekly in St. Mary's (232 pupils) and half-termly in Blaenycwm (244 pupils), so in each 6-week period 476 children will benefit from our service. We also take occasional lessons in classes for years 5 and 6. We have also done school assemblies for the lower school in Brynmawr Foundation School (comprehensive) on a number of occasions (about 450 pupils) and taken classes for their A-level students studying religion.

Socials - all ages- about 50 come at Christmas. About 30 will come on walks and trips we arrange on each occasion throughout the year.

Summer clubs - about 25 primary school aged children will attend our summer clubs each year. With such an improved venue and facilities this number will surely improve.

Open-air Easter Drama Production - about 200 people will attend our open air passion play each year. Rehearsals for the play can take place at Tabor Centre.

Sunday morning meetings - about 35 people of various ages will attend our

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weekly family service. We have about 40 members in total.

Homegroups - about 16 people will meet mid-week in homes for weekly study, discussion socials and worship. These meetings will occasionally be able to use

Special events - We lead the Blaenau Gwent County Borough Carol service each year, with about 40 people in attendance and recently hosted a couple of Art lessons for the community as part of a three-town community festival.

Proposed Beneficiaries:

The centre will provide a great venue for social events arranged by ourselves or third party individuals or organisations to connect with the community and for people within the community to develop a sense of belonging.

The centre will be ideal for schools in the area to use for bookings for their Christmas/Easter/Summer concerts or award ceremonies.

The centre is flexible. Not only is there the facility for a good number of people in the large hall, but it is ideal for disabled access, having good toilet provision.

The aim is to provide a flexible facility for local groups to hire, such as, but not restricted to, the following:

Health

Parent and toddlers group

Pre-natal classes

Social services day centre

Health service drop in groups

Satellite day hospital,

Mobile community clinics

Health promotion

Age concern groups

Weight watchers/Slimming World, etc

Zumba clubs, dance clubs, Pilates etc. Youth

Arts and crafts groups

Youth clubs/groups

Summer schemes

Job club

Drama/theatre/performing arts/amateur dramatics

Rehearsal centre for orchestral and modern bands

Harvest services, Christmas productions, presentations

Commercial

Voting station

Tourist information

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Business conferences, business forums

Council meetings, community consultation

MP, AM and MEP local surgeries

Police training and conference venue

Health service and private nursing care conference venue

Charities annual conferences

Banks/building societies training venue

Training facility for essential courses such as first aid, health and safety etc.

Trade Union conferences/meetings

Community

Summer clubs

Social events

Community worship venue

Food bank.

CAP money handling courses

Film club

Weddings, wedding receptions, funerals and wakes

Café hiring

Social events and celebrations

Job Club

Education

School governors training and meeting venue

Further education venue

Homework/after school clubs

Annual award ceremonies

School plays

Welsh language classes and promotion of the Welsh language

Main Hall

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In what specific ways will these groups benefit?

A well-equipped venue to host a variety of groups with the facilities that use the latest technology in a comfortable environment.

People will be able to develop themselves with skill-building, support and contact.

10. CONSULTANTS FOR THIS PROJECT

In addition to our public consultation and project steering group we have consulted a large body of professionals for advice:

GAVO : Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations. Meetings and liaising with Richard Davies, Mandy Moore and Huw Lewis to discuss project viability, options and relevant contacts. Richard has assisted us with feasibility study, business planning and financial forecasting and Mandy and Huw have advised us regarding funding and other aspects of the project. GAVO will also supply us with a number of bespoke training needs.

Blaenau Gwent Council- Meeting with Sally Edwards, again to discuss options and people to network with for support on the project. She made a referral for us to Business Wales.

Business Wales Meetings with: Iestyn Thomas, Resources and efficiency advisor. Iestyn has helped us put together an environmental policy for the building. Karen Moore, Environmental health, Phil Summers, Business Advisor. Jamie Cresswell, Mentoring agent. Has put us into contact with a mentor Jon Dyer who worked on a similar project at Sketty Methodist Church. Rhian Hayes, Equalities and Diversities Advisor. Rhian has advised us regarding employing staff and also schemes available for helping initiate jobs.

Heather Myers Heather Myers has a background as a Town Planner and now is the Chief

Board Room/Quiet Room

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Executive of the highly successful Abergavenny Food Festival. Heather has been identified by Business Wales as a good ongoing mentor for the project, and is supportive of its aims, believing the project has real credibility to be able to achieve its desired outcomes. She will continue to act in a supporting mentorship role as the project progresses.

Brynmawr Town Partnership We have a good working relationship with the local Town Partnership and have consulted them in the process of this project for their strategic knowledge of the Town. We have also invited one of its members to be on our steering group and provide references for us as an organisation.

Brynmawr Business Forum We have developed a good relationship with the Business Forum and been invited to share about the project at one of their meetings. Both the chairperson and deputy are fully behind the project and the deputy has come onto our steering group.

Carbon Trust The Carbon Trust have visited the site to assess it for maximum sustainability and to enable it to function in an environmentally friendly way. We have regularly contacted them regarding the project and taken their suggestions on board, as well as attended a conference on Green Computing they jointly led with HPC Wales (High Performance Computing). We have used HPC Wales' computer systems to help develop our walk-through visualisations of the building.

CMS Services- Paul Burnell An organisation for charities that provides advice on policies, good work practice, professionalism, administration, charity responsibilities. Also qualified to perform independent examinations of accounts and provide ongoing training. Paul has advised us with regard to issues relating to being a charitable trust as well as auditing our accounts.

The Gate Arts Centre, Cardiff- We have had a number of discussions with T.J Wheeler who manages the Gate Arts Centre in Cardiff and he has provided valuable advice on the development and running of the project, some key factors we have adopted into the scheme.

Wales Evangelical Alliance- We are a member of this body and can use it for advice and guidance on the project. We have previously taken advice from their trusts advisor, Paul Hocking when setting up as a trust.

CCPAS. The Churches Child Protection Advisory Service- We are a member of their updating service and we formulated our Child Protection Policy with their help. They are our umbrella body for police checks for advice concerning protection matters and good practice. They also provide training in these matters

Catalyst Network- As a member of the Catalyst Network, which is part of the Newfrontiers family of Churches, we have numerous avenues where we can seek advice from Churches doing similar projects, both in the UK and worldwide.

Rhiwbina Baptist Church- Through the Catalyst Network we can receive particular help and support from this, our nearest Church in the network. They are a large congregation of over 300 people and employ numerous staff and thus can provide helpful advice to us regarding the project.

Bethlehem Christian Life Centre, Cefn Cribbwr- Liaison with a member of their team who completed a similar project to us to look at the process they went through to get funding to rebuild a Church into a multi-purpose venue for their community (including sports activities).

New Life Church, Milton Keynes- We have met with Richard Wightman who leads

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this multi-purpose Church and Centre for Community hire for practical advice on day to day running and sustainability of this type of facility.

11. MARKETING ASSESSMENT, STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES & COMPETITION ANALYSIS

Brynmawr's Unique Position

The key location of Brynmawr as the gateway town to the Heads of the Valleys means it is in a unique position to serve the wide region of valleys towns it overlooks in addition to its own population of estimated 5,500. The widening of the Heads of the Valleys road means increased traffic travelling through Brynmawr to reach the Valleys regions, Newport and Cardiff. The new developments on the former Steel site in Ebbw Vale again will further increase the traffic through Brynmawr and heighten its significance.

Special Characteristics and Strengths we have identified

Uniqueness of venue: Located right at the centre of Brynmawr town, easy to find and in the gateway town to the Heads of the Valleys region.

Excellent access: 3 free car parks in close proximity.

Flexibility of capacity: From a 200 seat auditorium to a single room. Allowing any size of group to avail itself of the facilities.

Community social hub

A much needed venue for youth to meet and focus on advancement and development

Potential Weaknesses

The location of Brynmawr, whilst having many strengths being in a key position and highly accessible on the Heads of the Valleys Road, may not be perceived by everyone as more desirable for a conference than a city centre such as Cardiff. For this reason more focus will be placed on the local community for conferences and bookings than on a wider geographical area. As the centre gains in popularity more emphasis will be able to be placed on bookings from a wider area.

New internal fire escape servicing multiple floors at rear of Tabor Centre

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The Competition- (Please see Scoping Survey for More Detail)

Immediate Vicinity:

Action Learning Centre in Brynmawr This is a plush venue, but has small rooms for lectures/teaching and no large hall for bigger group conferences. It only has a small room for tea and coffee making facilities and food cannot be prepared on the premises.

Brynmawr Community Centre This has a large hall only with no breakout rooms for seminars. It has a village hall type feel which does not lend itself to corporate conferences. It has had numerous repairs to its roof, but the roof is still leaking. It is on a slope which gets cut off in and inaccessible in winter. There is no car parking in the immediate vicinity. It is not available during the day as it is used by the Phoenix Project, a mental health drop-in facility. It was formerly run by the council and then was transferred to Life Leisure Trust in 2014 as part of the Council's cuts to meet their austerity budget set by the Government. Due to a lack of sustainability as a venue and due to the Council's need to increasingly cut back services it will either be a Community Asset Transfer or will be sold. As a centre it does not offer anywhere near the services which will be available at the Tabor Centre.

Local Schools These have echoey halls which lack the warmth of a plush venue and do not lend themselves to corporate functions. They are in use during the day. They are not always accessible during school holidays (13 weeks a year).

Local Authority hiring of halls have traditionally been able to provide low rates of rental for community groups. This acknowledged, an increasing number of these assets in the community are being sold off as council funds are strapped for cash. This is certainly true of Brynmawr which has recently lost its Leisure Centre facility. Sometimes these buildings have not always been run in the most cost effective or sustainable ways and sometimes the environments themselves have been in need of updating. We would aim to keep our rates sustainable, but competitive and reduce where necessary, whilst maintaining a quality service for all users.

Within a ten mile radius:

Venue One (Kidz R Us), Tredegar Formerly Park Place Chapel, this is a similar type of venue, offering similar services but used in the main for weddings and parties which is also a potential usage for Tabor but not Tabor’s core market aim. It does very well as a facility but is far enough away (5 miles) not to present direct competition, but it is a good illustration of how this type of venue will work for the community.

Beaufort Ballroom, Ebbw Vale. This is primarily a theatre, seating 340, and showing plays, musicals, pantomime and the occasional stand up comedy show. No conference facilities and little flexibility.

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Ebbw Vale Institute, Ebbw Vale. www.ebbwvaleinstitute.org

This will be one of our competitors, although it is far enough away from Brynmawr to not be in direct competition with the Tabor Centre as its location is particularly suited to serve the population of Ebbw Vale (although there will be some overlap). To access the Institute residents of Brynmawr need to travel by bus or car, and many choose not to make this journey, preferring facilities which are within walking distance. However, the Evi is functioning as an excellent asset to the community of Ebbw Vale and also further afield and is an example of the effectiveness of a disused facility which has now been refurbished to become a modern facility for the community. The Evi does offer some conference facilities but one of its main areas of focus is to young people and it also has a particular emphasis on music, offering facilities for studio recording, sound mixing lessons, having numerous events with live bands performing as well as a dance studio. We would be looking to develop a good relationship with Promo-Cymru the social enterprise which runs the Evi and learn from their experience, looking for ways to collaborate and work together. Our aim is to complement the services they provide as well as to bring quality services into the area of Brynmawr for a greater level of community engagement for people local to Brynmawr.

West Mon Golf Club, Nantyglo www.westmongolfclub.co.uk/

This is advertised as having conference facilities and able to cater for weddings and similar events. The main focus of the facility is as a golf course. The hall available for conferences is of a good size and can cater for 90 people sitting or 120 for a buffet, but it lacks the multiple rooms available at the Tabor Centre as breakout rooms for seminars and it has a club feel which is more suited to entertainment, with dance floor, bar and lights. It is also in quite a remote location rather than in a town centre like Tabor.

The Met, Abertillery

www.the-met.co.uk This is a newly refurbished and purpose built theatre and conference centre owned by Blaenau Gwent Council. This offers similar facilities as Tabor, albeit 6 miles away in a different town. They will be competitors in providing a large quality conference facility.

We are totally familiar with price structures of both Venue One and The Met and their marketing strategies and will use them as guidelines for our own structure.

There are further examples of Church/Chapel conversions into thriving community facilities:

Bethlehem Chapel Leisure Centre, Cefn Cribbwr, Bridgend

www.mybclc.org Completely rebuilt in 2007, with £250,000 WAG financial assistance, it provides a focus point for a small village but is primarily aimed at leisure facilities and houses a full size sports hall and fully fitted gym. It also provides a full time facility for vulnerable young adults who can be referred to the services of a skilled therapist. Bethlehem is a fine example of what can be achieved by this type of centre in a deprived area.

Sketty Methodist Church, Swansea

www.skettymethodistchurch.org.uk

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Redeveloped in 2011 with funding assistance from WAG, the Big Lottery Fund and the Methodist Church of Great Britain, this centre provides us with a further example of how communities can benefit from such conversions. The activities that utilise the centre are very similar to the core business of the Tabor Centre albeit without the large conference centre that Tabor offers. It illustrates quite clearly the need for this type of centre in our communities.

Soar Chapel, Penygraig, Rhondda-Cynon-Taf Soar Centre is a beautifully converted Baptist chapel, which, along with the adjoining refurbished Vestry, function as a multi-use community resource for a diverse range of activities and opportunities. Still known locally as The Bike Club, Penygraig Community Project is a dynamic team of Community, Youth and Play Workers who are based here making things happen for the whole community from aged 0-90+. It houses the community group known as Valley Kids (www.valleykids.org) and is a prime example of how a once derelict building can transform itself and its community. A full overview of the centre can be found at: http://www.dramabydesign.com/capel-soar-arts-centre/

12.MARKETING STRATEGY

The USP (Unique Selling Point) of The Tabor Centre is Flexibility: it has so many applications due to the unique layout of rooms available, there is nothing similar in the immediate vicinity. In this way it can be marketed as an 'ideal place to meet'. Our marketing strategy for sustainability The users of this facility will fall into three categories:

1. Hire by members of the public and community groups. 2. Hire by council, NHS, Police, Social Services, larger groups and statutory services. 3. Hire by businesses.

Although we will promote the building to all three categories, in practical terms of sustainability of the project we envisage that our main income will come from the second category. The reason for this is that the building provides an ideal environment for seminars, conferences and training which is above that which can be offered by the likes of village hall type environments. Although we will get some companies who will use our facilities it is likely that some would prefer the facilities available in larger hotels (for example the Celtic Manor), so this avenue of income may have its limits. The first category, i.e. members of the public and community groups may have more limited

Provision for storage or further office space on each floor in the Tabor Centre

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financial resources than the second category. However, once the project is up and running we will be able to assess better which category the main avenue of income appears to be coming from. Our plan is to achieve our four outcomes of Provision, Support, Engagement and Learning whilst making sure the project runs effectively in a sustainable manner.

Public and Commercial Awareness

On completion of redevelopment: Press release to Local Newspapers, Western Mail, South Wales Argus, BBC Wales, ITV Wales, S4C.

Officially launch the opening of the centre with a reception and invite as many members of the ‘target market’ as possible (ensure the media are in attendance)

Commission leaflet distribution throughout Brynmawr and surrounding areas

Contact and visit Local Council, Police, Social Services, Health Services, Schools, voluntary groups and local businesses. The centre manager must consider the promotion of services to such organisations as part of their employment remit.

Advertise in Yell.com, Ask and other internet search sites.

Advertise in local press.

Design and launch a dedicated website for the building (www.taborcentre.org) and provide a link from Valleys Family Church website. Also publicise through dedicated Twitter and Facebook pages.

Publicise through GAVO (Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations) and other community forums in the area such as the Town Centre Partnership.

There will also be audio-visual link made available in the small hall and café area, as well as monitors at entrance points to the building to advertise meetings and services both in the building. Local advertising on these links can be a further means of income.

Tabor Centre will have offices on both floors for administration

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13. Charges

How we have worked out our charges

We have worked out our charges based on an hourly rate. There are different charges for the hire of different rooms and also charges for the hire of different equipment in the building. Rooms not hired will remain locked with either a digital key system or manual key system implemented by the caretaker as key-holder for outside events.

Our charges have taken into account heating, electricity and water costs as well as the cost of employing staff.

Our charges have been worked out by making a comparison with similar services provided in the area. We have aimed to be competitive in our pricing, offering a service which is good value for money for the user, whilst at the same time providing the project with the means for sustainability and growth.

Similar services consulted: Gateway Centre, Abergavenny Venue One, Tredegar Bethlehem Life Centre, Cefn Cribwr The Gate Arts Centre, Cardiff Christchurch Centre, Newport Sketty Methodist Church Action Learning Centre, Brynmawr Beaufort Ballroom Blaenycwm Primary School Brynmawr Community centre, Brynmawr Foundation School,

PRICING

Room hire prices Per Hour Half-day Day

Main conference hall (upstairs) £40 £125 £230

Crèche room £10 £25 £40

Small hall (downstairs) £25 £60 £100

Individual break-out rooms £10 £25 £40

Café/tea room £25 £60 £100

Kitchen £10 £25 £40

Board room £10 £25 £40

Details of proposed kitchen at Tabor Centre, with serving hatches to both café and lower hall

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Equipment hire prices Per Hour Half-day Day

Main hall P.A system £15 £45 £80

Small hall P.A system £10 £25 £40

Upstairs theatre lighting system £15 £45 £80

Conference link-up £10 £25 £40

Conference live streaming facility £15 £45 £80

Conference recording To be negotiated upon request

Food and Refreshments prices are as follows:

Buffet food £ To be negotiated with our suppliers

Meals £ To be negotiated with our suppliers

Refreshments £ To be negotiated with our suppliers

14. FUNDING

Other important factors in the launch or running of the service

Valleys Family Church owns the Tabor Centre, freehold without mortgage or charge.

The Tabor Centre is not a listed building.

Funding requirement We estimate that to finish the work to a good standard and to run the centre for three years covering all revenue costs as well as capital will be a total cost of £999,531.24 Sources of Funding

To date, our organisation members and friends have donated a total of £26,000 to the project's building fund.

We have a further £10,000 which has been donated and presently being held in an

The Tabor Centre has good toilet provision on both floors and each floor has an accessible W/C. Floors between the main and side building will be levelled for accessibility and a lift will service both floors.

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Impact Giving Trust account.

This totals £36,000.

Of these funds we so far spent a total of £18,489 on the project to bring it to its current stage so that it is ready to move forward once funding becomes available.

We have budgeted to keep aside £15,000 of these monies to use as a reserves buffer for the project and, once successful in obtaining funding, it will stay in the main project account as a reserves buffer throughout the project.

We are applying to the following sources for further funding :

Big Lottery

Community Facilities Grant (formerly known as CFAP), Welsh Government As these two are funders are known for projects of this size and we feel our project meets their criteria well they are our preferred source. However, if we are unsuccessful or require further funding we will approach the following funders:

Esmee Fairbairn Foundation

Lang Trust

Coalfields Regeneration

Lloyds TSB Foundation grant Programme

Welsh Church Act Fund

Local Authority Regeneration Fund

The Tudor Trust

Community Buildings Grant Scheme

Henry Smith Foundation

Joseph Rowntree

Arts Council Wales

Laing Family Trust

Sainsbury Family Charitable trusts

Garfield Weston Foundation

Local Businesses Amount of Grant Being Applied For We are applying for a grant total of £999,531.24 split in the following way:

CFAP (capital only) £499,765.62

BIG (capital and revenue) £499,765.62 Of which BIG's capital= £396,585.02 and revenue=£103,180.60

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We would like to thank you for taking the time to read through this business plan and feasibility study for Tabor Centre, Brynmawr. This study has been prepared by Stuart Wheatman from Valleys Family Church and Richard Davies from GAVO. If you would like further copies or more information about the project or any area covered in this study please contact us on: Stuart Wheatman, Valleys Family Church, C/O 74 Bailey Street, Brynmawr, Blaenau Gwent. NP23 4AH. 01495 311087 info@taborcentre.org

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Appendix 1: Tabor Centre Outline Programme of Works (See following page. Dates may vary slightly depending on the dates funding is received)

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Appendix 2:

Detailed Four Year Cash Flow Forecast

(see following pages)

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Appendix 3: Integration with other services in our locality

Blaenau Gwent Single Integrated Plan

The Tabor Centre as a project aims to be a part of the integrated approach to services offered within our Borough for maximum community benefit. In 2012 the Welsh Government challenged local authorities across Wales to develop a single plan for service provision in their communities. The Blaenau Gwent Single Integrated Plan (BGSIP) has been developed ‘to bring partners from across public services and the voluntary sector together …to plan, direct and deliver services, ensuring they are effective and focused on meeting the needs and priorities of citizens’ (source: http://www.gavowales.org.uk/single-planning-in-blaenau-gwent). Local Service Boards (LSB’s) are the vehicle for implementing the Single Integrated Plan in each Borough (22 in Wales). Our LSB comprises of heads of key services in Blaenau Gwent, including Martin Featherstone, chief Executive Officer of GAVO (Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations), of which we are members. GAVO also has an LSB Support Officer, Deb Jeffreys. Our membership of GAVO is a valuable way that we remain connected with the BGSIP and keep updated in changes regarding community needs and service provision within our Borough.

‘Making the Connections’ project

To further support our involvement in the Single Integrated Plan our details are logged into the searchable database of the ‘Making the Connections Project’. This is a project overseen by the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) and Deb Jeffries from GAVO is also our contact for this. The ‘Making the Connections’ project aims to support and strengthen the Third Sector’s input into the single integrated planning process.

Blaenau Gwent Community Strategy

In Blaenau Gwent there is a long term, twenty year strategy to make a difference in the community. This was initially formulated in the document Blaenau Gwent Community Strategy Making a Difference: The big 20 year plan for Blaenau Gwent 2010 to 2030 which remains the long term plan for the community. However, Single Integrated Plans must be reviewed annually and more thoroughly reviewed every four years. Therefore, to go alongside the long term vision, the following documents have been developed: Blaenau Gwent Strategic Needs Assessment 2012 and the current four year plan: Blaenau Gwent Single Integrated Plan 2013-2017.

Blaenau Gwent Strategic Needs Assessment 2012

The Blaenau Gwent Strategic Needs Assessment 2012 through extensive research and visual display of relevant data identifies ten key areas to focus on within the community which will result in Blaenau Gwent becoming ‘A better place to live, work and visit’ Here are the ten long term desirable outcomes identified in this assessment: 1. People in Blaenau Gwent live in good quality, affordable homes

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2. Blaenau Gwent is an accessible place with a good transport infrastructure 3. Blaenau Gwent has a thriving economy 4. Blaenau Gwent is a safe place, where people feel safe 5. Blaenau Gwent is a fair and inclusive place 6. People in Blaenau Gwent reach their full lifelong learning potential 7. People in Blaenau Gwent lead healthy and independent lives 8. Blaenau Gwent has a green and sustainable environment 9. People in Blaenau Gwent are involved in their communities and feel they can make a difference 10. People in Blaenau Gwent are supported to live free from poverty

Blaenau Gwent Single Integrated Plan 2013-2017

This current four year integrated plan takes these ten areas but highlights five themes and the priorities within them:

Fair and Safe -Crime -Anti-social behaviour -Domestic abuse -Substance misuse -

Cohesion and involvement

Learning -Early years -School attainment -Adult learning

Thriving -Employment -Financial pressures

Healthy -Healthy behaviour and lifestyle -Mental health and well-being -Chronic

health conditions -Vulnerable people -Independent living

Vibrant –Housing -Built and natural environment -Access and transport

From these five areas are planned the following desired outcomes:

Fair and Safe –

o Blaenau Gwent is a safe place, where people feel safe

o Blaenau Gwent is a fair and inclusive place

o People in Blaenau Gwent are involved in their communities and feel they can

make a difference

Learning –

o People in Blaenau Gwent reach their full lifelong learning potential

Thriving –

o Blaenau Gwent has a thriving economy

o People in Blaenau Gwent are supported to live free from poverty

Healthy –

o People in Blaenau Gwent lead healthy and independent lives

Vibrant –

o People in Blaenau Gwent live in good quality, affordable homes.

o Blaenau Gwent is an accessible place with a good transport infrastructure.

o Blaenau Gwent has a green and sustainable environment

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How our project fits into the Single Integrated Plan for Blaenau Gwent The vision for the Tabor Centre integrates well into the five identified outcomes on the Single Integrated Plan for Blaenau Gwent:

Fair and Safe- Our resource will provide a place which is accessible to all,

providing a safe environment conducive to development, engagement and support.

As this project addresses issues of community engagement the results for the

community as a whole will be a reduction in crime levels. The facility will also be

ideal for Police consultations and educational initiatives on crime reduction.

Learning- For the people of Blaenau Gwent to reach their lifelong learning potential

adequate building resources will be required to facilitate different sizes of groups,

with the flexibility provided by multiple rooms on site. These buildings also need to

be equipped to provide appropriate food and refreshments. They also need to be

central and accessible. Our project meets all these requirements and will assist

greatly in fulfilling the Single Integrated Plan outcomes for learning.

Thriving- A healthy economy and the issue of debt is not only a governmental

responsibility, it is also a personal responsibility shared by all of us as we manage

our own finances. The Tabor Centre will be a place where people can find help in

managing a budget as well as support in getting out of debt.

Healthy- Due to the high levels of unemployment and deprivation in our community

there are also high levels of depression. This in turn exacerbates the problem of

unemployment as people become less employable due to depression. Our project

will engage many people, resulting in raised levels of self-esteem and bringing them

a sense of purpose, in-turn helping them to beat depression. The facility will also be

available for Health Authority use for appropriate community clinics, health

promotion, and staff training. It is also ideal for hire for fitness groups such as

Zumba and Pilates.

Vibrant- Our project meets our community’s needs for accessibility, as it is in a

central location with good car-parking available. It is also equipped well for those

with decreased mobility, having accessible WC’s on both floors and a lift. The

Carbon Trust have been consulted with regard to the project’s sustainability and an

environmental policy developed, promoting green principles and keeping any

detrimental environmental impact to a minimum.

The county of Blaenau Gwent has adopted the tagline ‘Blaenau Gwent- a better place to live and work’. In line with the Single Integrated Plan for Blaenau Gwent we propose adopting the following tagline for the Tabor Centre; ‘The Ideal Place to Meet’.

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Appendix 4:

Public Consultation Report

(see following pages)