Good progress made on Foxwood Community Centre makeover

“York Cares” volunteers made good progress on their project to makeover the Foxwood Community centre yesterday.

With better weather forecast for today, it is hoped that everything will be completed in time for the Lord Mayor’s official opening at 4:30pm

The footpath through the Foxwood Park together with adjacent trees have also been tidied up.

Murals2 Volunteers with axe Woodowrkers

Childrens Trust hold successful event at Foxwood Community centre

Click for details

Click for details

The Childrens Trust held a successful fund raising event today at the Foxwood Community Centre.

It is a great shame that the Council decided to withdraw their financial support from the community centre earlier in the year

Hopefully whoever is elected to represent the area on the Council at the by election on 16th October, will make one of their first priorities getting the grant – which paid for a part time caretaker- restored.

Foxwood Community Centre make over

Draft plans for garden revamp revealed

Draft plans for Foxwood Community Center playground revamp

Draft plans for Foxwood Community Center playground revamp

Residents had their first glimpse of how the new garden behind the Foxwood Community Centre might look after volunteers arrive for the “Big Community Challenge” in October.

In a recent survey many residents said that they thought that the play area could be better used (it is now only open when events are taking place) and recognised that – as the centre is now entirely dependant on volunteers for maintenance – any new design should take this into account.

42% said that they wanted to see a communal garden established on the site with 29% opposed and 29% undecided.

The design is likely to be refined over the next few weeks in response to residents comments.

 

Big York Challenge coming to Foxwood?

A large number of volunteers are likely to descend on Foxwood in the autumn.

Their aim will be to complete the renovation of the Foxwood Park and regenerate the area to the rear of the Foxwood Community Centre.

Community centre playground

Community centre playground


The volunteers will be part of the “Big Community Challenge” team which has been set up by York Cares.  Click here for more information.

Currently a door to door survey is being conducted aimed at finding out residents priorities for the area. In particular residents are being asked whether a small  part of the Foxwood Park should become a dog walking area (with dogs banned from the rest of the park).

There is also a suggestion that the, little used, playground to the rear of the community centre should be converted into a garden and/or allotments. The playground has to be maintained by volunteers and is currently only open when an event is taking place at the Centre.

The Centre itself is under some financial pressure because of Council cuts but is confident that the “make over” will help to encourage more volunteers to support the facilities

Details of the Centres activities can be found by clicking here

Fairness Conference costs questioned as Huntington concert struggles

york-fairness-conference-logo

Sources with the York Council are saying that the costs – to Council taxpayers – of the recent Fairness Conference could be as much as £10,000. Apparently a similar level of funding has come from a local charity.

If confirmed, the figure will be similar to the amount being cut from the budgets of two York Council community centres both of which serve low income neighbourhoods.

The Foxwood Community Centre in particular is now struggling to find volunteers to continue to run the facility in the wake of the Council cuts.

One major user is moving to other accommodation claiming that the lack of commitment by the Council, to the future of community facilities ,was a factor in their decision.

 An attempt is to be made to form a new management committee in September by which time it is hoped a new core tenant will have been found.

NB. As reported earlier in the week, the Councils Grand Départy Concert on 4 July has run into financial difficulties.

Likely to cost a six figure sum to stage, only a few hundred tickets have been sold so far.

A new act has, however, been added to the lineup for the concert