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CVCLT news June 2024
This newsletter is full of good news.
All set for our AGM
Our 2024 AGM will take place on Saturday 22nd June at 11am in the Terrace Room at Hebden Bridge Town Hall. Feel free to turn up from 10.30am for tea/coffee. It as an opportunity for us to hear from you and for you to hear about the positive change we are making in our community.
All of our 300+ CVCLT members should have received the agenda and invitation, but we’ll also welcome non-members who support our work too. All the details are here. This is where you’ll find the link to the Eventbrite booking form, too. Do come!
CVCLT members are warmly invited to nominate themselves for a trustee position (to the Chair before the AGM). Full details of the procedure are here.
Our first home in Hebden Bridge!
An affordable, secure tenancy supports mental & physical health and enables people to put down roots and participate in their community.
In partnership with the former owner of 17 Brunswick Street we have completed the purchase of our first property in Hebden and can now create such a tenancy.
“When I decided to sell my house, I was told by the estate agents that it would likely become an Airbnb. I didn’t want that to happen. There are so few affordable rented homes in Hebden, and I’d been aware of the CLT’s work so got in touch with them to discuss what might be possible.
I believe that we as a society will all be better off if more of our assets are owned by the community. Selling this house to the CLT is one small step in that direction that was within my power to take.”
We are in the process of arranging a retrofit of the property to alleviate poverty through lower energy bills whilst reducing its impact on climate change.
You must be registered with Keychoice to apply for our new home. We will announce when applications are open.
Visit our first home in Hebden Bridge!
Join us at 17 Brunswick Street on Saturday 22 June for an opportunity to view the ground floor before the energy efficiency works begin. Trustees will be on hand to take your questions. Open between 1.30pm and 3.30pm. We advise walking up from the Co-op and look forward to seeing you there.
Lower energy bills and a secure future for Fielden Hall
The hard work paid off and we have been informed by DLUHC that we have been awarded £247, 000 from the Community Ownership Fund. This goes with the £150,000 from the Todmorden Town Deal fund and £20,000 secured by the Fielden Centre Association from the National Lottery.
Lowering energy bills will make Fielden Hall more financially sustainable. The hall hosts weddings, fundraising events, choirs, arts and craft groups and more. It is a beautiful community space.
Ferney Lee enterprise centre and housing
All of your letters of support for our planning application for affordable rented homes and offices in Todmorden certainly worked. Planning has been approved!
The next critical step is to secure the asset transfer of the land from CMBC, which will enable us to apply for grant funding for the homes. Funding is already secured for the enterprise centre.
The Enterprise Centre project is part of the DLUHC funded £17.5M Todmorden Town Deal investment programme led by Todmorden Town Deal Board due to be completed by Spring 2026. For more information, visit: www.todmordentowndeal.co.uk
Board Assistant role opportunity
Do you have a couple of hours a week to help create affordable secure homes?
Our success has led us to look for a volunteer assistant to the board of trustees. It involves scheduling meetings, booking rooms, preparing agendas, attending monthly board meetings, taking minutes and filing papers.
More detail can be found here
To apply or find out more, please contact Paul at manager@caldervalleyclt.org.uk or on 07942 361205.
Jerusalem Farm Cottage
We have secured the funding to bring this empty property back into use as a much-needed affordable rented rural home.
Work continues to finalise a lease and loan agreement with CMBC to enable us to begin the works.
You can…
…recruit a new member or join if you’re not a member. Just £1 gives you a share in the land trust and the opportunity to shape the organisation. More members mean more faith in our work from funders means more people in secure affordable tenancies, putting down roots and making plans for their futures.
These small actions add up and do make a difference. Join here.
Refugee homes in Hebden Bridge
The 2 empty properties above One Stop in Hebden Bridge have funding to bring back into as affordable rented homes for refugees. We are waiting for the lease and grant agreement from Calderdale Council to enable us to proceed with the renovation and retrofit.
Should they cease to be needed to house people with refugee status, these homes will become available to house other local residents.
Advisory Panel
If you have experience of applying for grants and/or fundraising and would like to give something back to the upper valley community please drop our Chair Simon Brearley an line at simon.brearley@caldervalleyclt.org.uk or give our manager Paul a call on 07942 361205.
Signal Box
Still waiting for Network Rail to sign the lease.
We are looking for someone to take on a 6-month paid role to deliver the heritage aspect of the Signal Box. If you have previous experience on similar projects, please get in touch.
Thank you
Thank you to the people from the Ferney Lee area who have kept in touch on progress on the enterprise centre and housing.
And finally…
…architects working together to encourage more social housing creation https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/the-next-government-must-do-better-aj-backs-architects-affordable-housing-campaign?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1717411306
Thank you for reading, each reader inspires us to do more.
Every new member makes a difference. To take the next step from newsletter reader to member please Click
Patient Capital
If you’re in a position to be patient about getting a quick return or even no return on your money, and you want to put that money to work in the community then Patient Capital could be for you.
The two projects above are happening because local people have been kind enough to move some of their savings into the land trust to enable us to create affordable rented homes. This involves:
- Low interest loans
- 0% loans
- Purchase of Calder Valley Community Land Trust community shares
- Donations
Contact Paul, our Executive Manager, if you would like to explore helping to create affordable homes in this way.
And finally…
…we are now on Instagram, but no sign of Tik Tok yet. Now there’s an idea, we know younger people really struggle to find an affordable place of their own. Any Tik Tok users out there who would like to highlight the struggle and inspire change?
https://www.instagram.com/caldervalleyclt/
Interested in investing?
We are now keeping a waiting list of people potentially interested in investing in the CLT in the future. If you are interested in being added to this list, please contact our Exec Manager Paul on manager@caldervalleyclt.org.uk. (‘Without obligation’, as they say!)
ARCHIVE OF PRESS RELEASES:
2022: Mar 8: Mayor of West Yorkshire visits CVCLT development
2021: Sep 13: Calder Valley CLT appoints its first Executive Manager
2021: June 6 Major grant will help save Hebden Bridge’s Signal Box
2021: May 26: Community-based trust is ready to recruit
2021: Feb 17: Community-led charity to receive national lottery funding
2021: Jan 13: Community trust pulls off successful community share issue
2020: Dec 8: Todmorden’s community share offer hits a key milestone
Oct 26: Todmorden community to come together to secure the future of a historic hall and affordable housing
Mar 1: First partnership between almshouse trust and CLT reaches successful conclusion
Jan 1: Wanted! Local charities’ independent-living bungalows need first residents
2019: Mar 4: Building work starts on six new bungalows for local older people
Feb 5: Statement from board of trustees following planning decision
2018: April 1: Local charity’s plans to bring back a lost Hebden Bridge street
2017: Jan 1: Community-led housing charity receives major grant for its ‘Big Potential’
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