Installing an accessible shower

The Pitch

Problem statement

Our sports hall is used by a wide variety of local community groups for different sports and activities, and is based in a poor area. Our facilities are enjoyed by people who want a relaxed, friendly atmosphere where people of all ages and abilities are welcome. Nearby is an estate that is one of the 225 identified by an all-party parliamentary group as a Left Behind Neighbourhood, which means it has severe poverty and also lacks community facilities; it's the worst in the country for sports and leisure facilities! So our facilities which are nearby are a huge benefit to the local community. BUT... our toilets are old and need upgrading and we need a disabled shower

Solution

We are fundraising to get our toilets refurbished and an accessible shower installed suitable for wheelchair users. This will hugely improve the facilities available for everyone, all of the local sports groups, and also community groups. Silhouette Youth Theatre use our hall for rehearsals and occasional performances. We want to do so much more with our hall and to support groups like Silhouette, so our facilities need to be improved for to ensure accessibility for all people.

Why are we best placed to deliver?

One activities group for elderly/disabled men describe our facilities as their 'lifeline'; a similar group for women have used the hall since 2008 and says: "It is great place and it is used by so many disabled less fortunate people as well as lot of other people too. But it needs a lot of improvement as there is always some thing that needs fixing." Silhouette Youth Theatre says, "Emmanuel have been a driving force for change in the community and their dedication to Silhouette Youth Theatre has been invaluable."

Focus Areas

Delivery plan

Budget breakdown

Beneficiaries

700 people

Expected impact

Some groups are saying that they would use our facilities more often once we get the facilities improved. We would love to really go to town on our hall and make it possible to use it for multiple functions, to have audience seating which folds away so it can be a community theatre or a sports hall, depending on how it's set up. The real impact of this project is that it will ensure the comfort for all users of our sports hall for the variety of sports and activities, all of which are about improving their wellbeing, physically, mentally and emotionally. In these testing times of isolation, loneliness and poor mental health, we need to have community facilities to rebuild community and wellbeing. Our goal is to retain all groups and attract new bookings.

Track record

Our building is used every day of the week, throughout the year, by a variety of community groups from diverse backgrounds. A recent pre-Covid survey of the groups using our facilities is incomplete as 8 groups did not reply, but of those who did, there is a total membership of nearly 1200 people, with 548 regular users of our sports hall. These are obviously under-reported numbers of users of the building. The regular users of the building include: A social group of about 40 Asian ladies who are elderly and/or disabled who engage in a variety of activities including yoga, keep fit, art and craft. A social group for about 150 Asian men who are elderly and/or disabled who play badminton and engage in various activities. A weekly ladies social badminton group for about 13 members, most of whom are 65 years or older. Silhouette Youth Theatre with 150 young people.