After quite a bit of phoning around we have found the big picture. Midlothian Council re-advertised the building for let 3-4 weeks ago. The closing date was last week. Three bids were submitted. We called around to work out who the bids were from.
One bid was from us, Bonnyrigg Centre Trust, the original campaign for the whole buildings reuse as a Hub, which is a community owned and run home for the whole community and various groups to find a permanent home and base. Our rebid, addressed the officers concerns about staffing levels and adjusted our income projections. Our goal is to get ownership so we can future proof the building with lottery money, which can only be secured if you can demonstrate broad community involvement and multiple groups.
Midlothian Fitness academy has resubmitted the same bid as before, which is to use the main building as a company run fitness gym and rent the back hall out to Bonnyrigg and Sherwood Community Development Trust to run as a soft play and cafe.
A surprise last minute bid was made by the gymnastics club in Loanhead called Lo-Gy to take over the whole building. They want to use the pool as a gymnastics centre and put a soft play where it used to be. (They heard about it because one of the parents attended one of our demos 5 weeks ago).
Its great news that none of the bids advocate demolishing any of the building, which is what the Council hoped for. Our campaign has inspired these two other bids for the building. It shows that there is need of it and it can pay its way. Its a shame Midlothian Council are making community groups compete rather than cooperate by making a competitive bid. Hopefully the Trust gets it and everyone can collaborate in Phase 2.
Our campaign is to see the whole building used for the whole community. That's why we designed the business plan to be flexible enough to accommodate the needs of all the groups who have shown an interest, and others. It only uses 41% of the building to cover the basic needs: Soft Play, Park Cafe, Youth club, Community hall. It leaves the rest for many other interested groups to have a home: Afterschool clubs, Clubs, Trampoline, Cheerleading, Bonnyrigg Bowling, Gymnastics, Dancing, fitness, sensory room, you name it, with good design, there's enough space for everyone.
On behalf of the Trust.
Darius
One bid was from us, Bonnyrigg Centre Trust, the original campaign for the whole buildings reuse as a Hub, which is a community owned and run home for the whole community and various groups to find a permanent home and base. Our rebid, addressed the officers concerns about staffing levels and adjusted our income projections. Our goal is to get ownership so we can future proof the building with lottery money, which can only be secured if you can demonstrate broad community involvement and multiple groups.
Midlothian Fitness academy has resubmitted the same bid as before, which is to use the main building as a company run fitness gym and rent the back hall out to Bonnyrigg and Sherwood Community Development Trust to run as a soft play and cafe.
A surprise last minute bid was made by the gymnastics club in Loanhead called Lo-Gy to take over the whole building. They want to use the pool as a gymnastics centre and put a soft play where it used to be. (They heard about it because one of the parents attended one of our demos 5 weeks ago).
Its great news that none of the bids advocate demolishing any of the building, which is what the Council hoped for. Our campaign has inspired these two other bids for the building. It shows that there is need of it and it can pay its way. Its a shame Midlothian Council are making community groups compete rather than cooperate by making a competitive bid. Hopefully the Trust gets it and everyone can collaborate in Phase 2.
Our campaign is to see the whole building used for the whole community. That's why we designed the business plan to be flexible enough to accommodate the needs of all the groups who have shown an interest, and others. It only uses 41% of the building to cover the basic needs: Soft Play, Park Cafe, Youth club, Community hall. It leaves the rest for many other interested groups to have a home: Afterschool clubs, Clubs, Trampoline, Cheerleading, Bonnyrigg Bowling, Gymnastics, Dancing, fitness, sensory room, you name it, with good design, there's enough space for everyone.
On behalf of the Trust.
Darius