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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. The Church has sponsored a project which has taken decisions on a shared vision of the Hall's future use and what has to be developed.
In 2006 the first stages of this project were complete, and we had to considered the scope and focus for the new Hall. This work included a major community and church consultation through focus groups and questionnaires. A vision for the Hall's future use was 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 consultation started with a major parish profile that analysed the social and historical 'shape' of the neighbourhood. The second stage 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
Christ Church has sponsored a parent and toddler group, Playpen, which has been running for nearly twenty years. It has an excellent reputation and a permanently oversubscribed membership. Playpen opens twice weekly with customer demand for more, and welcomes over 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 since worked with Lambeth Borough and other local Church youth groups to help us develop plans. These proposals have been grant funded and working with local youth agencies and Lambeth Borough we are starting 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. There are many uses identified and with a more flexible management, education, small business support and youth work can co-exist with existing Church and community use.
Creating a Hall that is fit for purpose
The project Group has developed a detailed business plan for the Hall which would see a major redevelopment of the hall and its facilities. Whilst the Hall is well loved it is in need of major repair. Remedial work on the roof is required and substantial improvements to meet the current legislative and health and safety requirements are necessary if any significant work is undertaken.
The project group has therefore worked with HMDW Architects 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 the plan includes the addition of a third floor to increase the level of community space available, particularly for consultative or small business use. These plans were approved in February 2008.
When completed, 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 will be available.
The project has build sustainability into the business plan. Not only does this mean cost effective to run and maintain but it also has to reduce its impact on the environment. Materials, operating practices and management arrangements will all reflect the need for a hall which is high quality but efficient for all users.
Where do we go from here?
Fundraising in 2007 and 2008 was under a consultant fundraiser and Project Manager, Chris Anderson. During his work, over £150,000 was raised and we have achieved the public support of Lambeth Council as a third sector provider. Planning permission for the development was achieved, and we have identified means of raising the £1.4M outstanding. 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 events have been run since 2006, with events such as the Gipsy Hill Craft Fair: information is available about how you can get involved in similar events, and what it means for you to become a Goodliffe Hall volunteer.
This is a major project, at heart of which is the projects desire to serve the 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. It is a gift to the community, to use, with due respect, as it sees fit. The plans for the future management and use of the building embrace strong input from the Gipsy Hill community in the day to day running of the hall.
If you're interested in finding out more or want to be part of the team that is planning this exciting venture please contact James Haddock, the project chair, via the Church office.
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
January 2009