Newsletter

NEWSLETTER 19^th July 2010

The Barge Inn Community Project
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Lottery Winners!
If you have not already heard, The Barge Inn Community Project was chosen as one of the six community enterprises to win a large amount of Lottery Funding and become a part of an exciting joint rural initiative between the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) and BBC1.
The announcement was made on the May 9^th 2010, after a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style presentation in London to the BIG Lottery Fund committee. It was really exciting and we were all rather nervous, especially as it was filmed by the BBC. In fact the team have only just recovered!
So what will the lottery funding bring to the Community?
The Barge Inn Community Project (BICP) is a community enterprise centred in and around the historic Barge Inn Pub at Honey Street. As part of the exciting developments planned we will be building a shop, creating new shower/toilet facilities, draining the campsite and, perhaps most importantly, ensuring that The Barge Inn becomes the heart of the community, providing a safe and comfortable place for people to meet and to develop ties with the community and each other.
So what is happening now? What’s next?
We aim to take over the lease of The Barge and start the project in late August. So please watch this space and make sure you ask us any questions you might have.
It’s your project – please become a supporter!
Public meeting
This is your opportunity to meet us face-to-face and put forward any questions you may have relating to the project. This is scheduled for AUGUST 11th at WILCOT HALL at 7pm.
We need members & supporters now! Come along and get involved!

A new community meeting place
One of the development ideas that we will be able to achieve because of the Lottery grant is the purchase and erection of a large Yurt for community ‘get-togethers’.
Positioned on the campsite it is thought that this will provide a ‘different’ and informal meeting place for groups to meet as part of the campsite and community activities. This won’t supersede the village hall or social club but provide an alternative informal small space - to give you an idea of size you can fit about 20 people in there sitting down for a class, or 25 standing up for a socialising event. It should be ready by Easter next year.
Part of the attached questionnaire asks you let us know if you would be interested in seeing the space once it is erected. If you want to know more then chat to myself, Sandra, or one of the team.

Village SOS Learning Campaign
The Barge Inn Community Project will be a part of the future Village SOS Learning Campaign Programme that will provide ongoing support to rural communities around community enterprises. This campaign will showcase what the six communities featured in the BBC One TV programme did (plus a further four Learning Campaign Awards), and show other villages how they developed their project to make it a success. The campaign will enable communities that are inspired by the TV programme and the six communities featured, to get advice and actual real life support to start up their own enterprising project. The elements of the Learning Campaign have been designed to support rural communities whilst they conceive and develop their own community enterprises – this support will be delivered through a range of activities designed to meet their needs and demonstrate what can be achieved. Other rural communities will be able to get involved in a pioneering online community where they can interact with the Village SOS award winning villages and other across the UK.
Eventually this tool will be available to all to learn more intricately the goings on with the project and our journey, step by step.
Volunteering – we need you!
In the last newsletter we asked you to complete a survey and we received over 200 replies! This was a huge success for us and the information you provided gave a real insight into what you, as a community, want to see at The Barge Inn. A massive thank you for taking the time to share ideas, comments and (of course) to voice any of your concerns.
At the end of the survey we asked if you would like to become a volunteer in the project and we have a list of over 30 people, a real show of support, thank you. We now need your help and will be hving a volunteers’ meetingon the 4th August at Coronation Hall.
PLEASE SEND YOUR COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES, TOGETHER WITH ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE TO:
Sandra Bhatia - Project Co-ordinator – 07973 468426 - Sandra.bhatia1@btinternet.com - at
The Barge Inn Community Project Limited, Pear Tree Cottage, 53 Wilcot, Pewsey SN9 5NS

You can also talk to;
Polly Carson on 01672 851119 – polly@pr1ors.fsnet.co.uk
Bev McEnaney on 01672 569294 – bevmcenaney@yahoo.co.uk
Emma Byrne on 07786 493060 – emma_byrne66@hotmail.co.uk

NEWSLETTER

3rd February 2010

The Barge Inn Community Project

For those of you not familiar with the project here is a brief history of how it started.

In September 2008 a community working group was formed to consider the development of a range of social and community business enterprises centered around the opportunity of the purchase of the lease of The Barge Inn Honey Street Nr Pewsey Wiltshire SN9 5PS. This followed a well attended public meeting when it was agreed to progress the idea of forming a social enterprise that could own and manage the lease of the public house as well as develop other local initiatives on the adjoining land.

The group obtained a grant from Kennet District Council to progress with a feasibility study which is now complete. A specialist professional valuer was commissioned to undertake a full valuation of the property.

Research has been undertaken into the appropriate organisational structure to progress and manage the initiative. A draft business plan is complete.

An overview has been taken of how to finance the opportunity and the grant and finance organisations to engage.

An expression of interest has been passed to several grant giving organisations to gain an understanding of how they may help.

Our Progress

Since our last newsletter, Feb 09, there have been several exciting developments;

In the summer of 2009, we submitted an application form to Village SOS and in November succeeded in getting through to stage 2 of the scheme. Here is a brief idea of how it works:

Village SOS is a joint initiative between the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) and the BBC to help six rural villages across the UK, regenerate their communities through brilliant new business ventures

· Villages shortlisted through Village SOS in November 2009 received a development grant of up to £10,000, and chose a ‘Village Champion’ to work with to advance their ideas. In May 2010 six projects will be awarded Lottery funding of up to £400,000 and their respective Village Champions will move into the villages for a year to help them turn their business idea into a reality

· BBC Wales will follow the stories of the six new rural enterprises from start up to trading for a major BBC One series.

· Villages have recruited their own Village Champions from a pool shortlisted by the BBC and Make Your Mark, part of the charity Enterprise Insight.

· The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out half the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery. www.biglotteryfund.org.uk.

Please return ASAP to: emma.byrne@bargeinncommunityproject.com

We are particularly looking to recruit volunteers from the younger generations, to add diversity and growth to our committee and to strengthen the network within the community. Such diversity is crucial to the longevity of the project and to realising the ideas and opportunities available.

The Barge Inn Community Project

Saving and developing a Community Hub