The Goodliffe Hall
a vision for neighbourhood
Forty years ago the doors of the Goodliffe hall opened and since then the building has served as an active host to all the activities that help support church and community life. The decades of good use have now taken their toll on the Hall. Like many other buildings of its age it is now a rather jaded and leaky 1960's box, no longer fit for the needs or demands of modern life. Therefore the Goodliffe Hall development project began in 2004 to plan for the renewal of the Hall and to oversee its refurbishment.
Creating a Community Hub
This redevelopment gives Christ Church a once in a generation opportunity. It has given it a chance to consider how it wants the Hall to be used in the future and how it can help and support the community of Gipsy Hill. Before decisions could be taken on the structural changes that are necessary, a shared vision of the Hall's future use had to be developed.
The first stage of this project, to consider the scope and focus for the new Hall, is now complete. It culminated in a major community and church consultation through focus groups and questionnaires. Now a vision for the Hall's future use has been developed and agreed by the Church's PCC.
Affordable community space is at a premium in this needy corner of Lambeth. With your support we hope to build a diverse programme and renew the Hall, turning it into a shared, modern and flexible facility that will help serve the spiritual, social and cultural needs of Gipsy Hill. Not just for a few years, but for decades to come.
Developing the vision
In developing a vision for a renewed hall, it is recognised that what the community actually wants and needs must be matched by what the church can practically provide. The vision that has been developed is based on this common ground.
The needs of the area are clear. Gipsy Hill is the third most deprived ward in Lambeth. It is in the top 5% of most deprived areas in terms of income, deprivation affecting children and unemployment. But as well as clear needs the community also has clear demands as revealed by our community consultation.
The first stage of this was the completion of a major parish profile that analysed the social and historical 'shape' of the neighbourhood. The second stage completed in 2005 included a questionnaire sent to every home in the Parish of Gipsy Hill. The third and final stage was a series of ten focus groups with community partners - such as local councillors, Police, Paxton School and various residents' associations.
It is obvious that both the Church and community see the potential for the Goodliffe Hall to become a centre for a wide range of community activities to help build a strong neighbourhood and help meet vital needs. But building on the response from the consultation, our aim is that in particular a renewed hall will mean:
The Creation of a Playpen Baby and Toddler Centre
Our parent and toddler group Playpen has been running for nearly twenty years. It has an excellent reputation and a permanently oversubscribed membership. It has very recently begun opening twice, instead of just once, a week and welcomes 50 children and their carers. Pre-school provision came top of the 2005 community questionnaire - with 62% of respondents making it their first preference for usage. Therefore if successful in redeveloping the Hall we plan to increase our capacity to open Playpen on every weekday and expand the number of 'satellite' services that support the parents and carers who attend.
An expanded programme for young people
The Goodliffe Hall was founded to have an emphasis on the well being of local young people and it has always been the centre for activities supporting them. In recent years we have focused on creative partnerships with local youth agencies including Lambeth Crime Prevention Trust.
Nearly 50% of respondents to our questionnaire thought the Hall should support further youth work and our focus groups rated youth work as the area with the greatest potential for useful community partnerships. We have a new consultant youth worker joining the church this year to help us develop these plans and are working with local youth agencies and Lambeth Borough to provide a much-needed venue for local youth projects.
A shared and flexible community space
The simple need for an affordable and versatile community space was the most highly identified need amongst our focus groups. We are dedicated to providing such a flexible facility that enables the myriad of activities that already take place in the hall to develop and expand. It will mean the church can continue to use the Hall for all the regular activities it supports, such as the Sunday School and Brownies. It will also allow it to meet the need for facilities for local art, drama and dance groups which our focus groups identified.
Creating a Hall that is fit for purpose
After considering the options, the project Group believes that if the Hall is to be a suitable host for these activities, the only option is a major redevelopment of the hall and its facilities. Whilst the Hall is well loved it is in need of repair. Remedial work on the roof is required and substantial improvements to meet the current legislative and health and safety requirements are necessary.
The project group is therefore in discussions with an architect to develop plans to remodel the hall, to improve the kitchen and toilet facilities and to incorporate the exterior of the hall with the church facade. As well as this major reshaping we are considering the addition of a third floor to increase the level of community space available.
We hope to include facilities such as a soft play area for young toddlers, a cafe space that can be used by all the users of the hall, flexible meeting rooms for small or large groups and the replacement of the current stage with a more flexible sports and performance area.
The building also needs to be sustainable. Not only does this mean cost effective to run and maintain but it also has to reduce its impact on the environment. This will form part our considerations as we make practical decisions on what materials we use, the way the building is lit and heated and on its overall design.
Where do we go from here?
Fundraising for the new hall has now begun, spearheaded by the work of our consultant fundraiser and Project Manager, Chris Anderson. The total costs of the renewal of the hall are expected to be in the region of £750,000. We believe a substantial amount of this will be met by charitable trusts and other donors, but we will also need the support of the church and the community. Local fundraising begins in earnest in November 2006 with the first Gipsy Hill Craft Fair: there will be more information about how you can get involved in similar events soon, and what it means for you to become a Goodliffe Hall volunteer.
This season we are also finalising plans with our architect over the design of the refurbished hall. We hope to have formal plans that can be shared with the church and community around the turn of the year.
This is a major project, and is not just about the renewal of the bricks and mortar that surround the Goodliffe Hall. At heart it is about serving our parish in the name of Christ. We want to create a 'hub' for the local community which displays something of the 'fullness of life' that God offers to all - a meeting place where our vision of neighbourhood will flourish.
We will explain more once the plans are finalised in the New Year, but, in the meantime, if you're interested in finding out more or want to be part of the team that is planning this exciting venture please contact either Chris Anderson, Andrew Rumsey or Stuart Mitchenall, through Christ Church. (see below).
Further information
For further information about the Goodliffe Hall or for any other enquiries relating to this leaflet, please contact the Church Office on 020 8761 5927 email
Alternatively write to:
Goodliffe Hall Project
Christ Church Gipsy Hill,
1 Highland Road,
London
SE19 1DP
The Goodliffe Hall Project Group on behalf of Christ Church
November 2006
The Goodliffe Hall November 2006