Our Charity Aims
South Brent Old School Community Centre (SBOSCC) is a charity actively managed by local Trustees and is run for community benefit on a not for profit basis. It is also a Company Limited by Guarantee.
The charitable objective of the Charity is (as set out in the Articles of Association) :
“to undertake common effort … for the inhabitants of South Brent and neighbourhood … to advance education and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure time occupation with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said inhabitants”
The Articles of Association can be seen HERE.
Our latest Annual Report (year end 31st August 2023) can be seen HERE.
Our Future Plans
The Old School Community Centre provides an ever-increasing range of community activities and facilities, but in a building that is nearly 150 years old, and which is showing its age.
The Centre is owned by the South Brent Old School Community Centre charity and managed by a group of trustees. The trustees are charged with managing the building and, under its charitable powers, providing facilities and services for everyone in South Brent and the surrounding area. The need is great, and ever growing, and we want to ensure we can continue to support the local community for the next 150 years.
The fabric of the Old School building has reached a stage whereby the trustees consider it necessary to embark on a major renovation initiative, focusing mainly on the roof but considering other potential improvements such as solar panels on the roof and energy efficiency measures within the building. We are also exploring options to improve the access to the Centre, the internal layout and the option to create rooms and offices in the roof space.
Throughout 2023 we have been conducting a range of technical surveys and assessments, and in Autumn 2024 we are consulting with our partners and the community about our proposed plans and ideas. These plans and ideas are detailed on our Rejuvenating the Centre page.
We are looking forward to working with the Community, local partners and stakeholders, and other South Brent organisations to secure the future of South Brent Old School Community Centre for another 150 years.
Our Trustees
The Charity and Centre are the responsibility of the Trustees. These are volunteers who are chosen from the membership to guide and oversee the running of the charity.
Any Member can be considered to become a Trustee (either by a vote at the AGM or by co-option). The Trustees must work together responsibly and jointly solely for the benefit of the Charity. Trustees form a board that
♦ Cannot be less than 5 or more than 18 of which
♦ Up to 13 can be elected from the membership
♦ Up to 2 can be nominated by User Groups
♦ Up to 3 can be co-opted (asked to join without election)
New Trustees need to be registered with the Charity Commission and at Companies House.
If you are interested in becoming a Trustee please contact info@theoldschool.org.uk
The current Trustees are:
Chair: Vacant
Vice Chair: Dave MacDiarmid
Company Secretary: Ross Kennerley
Mike Baines
Sally Fairman
David Kinross
Martin Sibley
Jane Wellens
Sheila Alexander
Minutes Secretary: Christine Morgan
Our Members and Friends
Members
Membership is open to individuals, or other organisations, who support the aims of the charity. They need to pay a subscription that is set by the membership and the Annual General Meeting. Members can attend, and vote at, the Annual General Meeting. Members hold a maximum liability of £1 should the charity be wound up.
Friends
Individuals who don’t wish to hold voting rights or liability can become “Friends” for the same subscription as Members.
You can find more information about becoming a Member or a Friend on our Get Involved page.
Our Facilities
The Old School Community Centre supports a wide range of facilities including:
♦ South Brent Community Library
♦ South Brent Corridor Gallery
♦ South Brent Archive
♦ Community Resource Centre (photocopier, computer, laminator etc)
♦ Three bookable Community Rooms
♦ Six rentable start up offices
♦ Community servery
♦ Information Point
Find out more about our Facilities.
Find out more about hiring a room.
Our Partners
The Charity hosts and supports the following organisations at the Centre:
We also provide the Registered Address for South Brent Community Land Trust and South Brent Community Energy Society
Our Supporters
As a charity we receive no regular financial support from statutory bodies. The income to maintain the building and continually improve the facilities we offer comes from fundraising efforts by Trustees and others, grant funding, income from renting the six offices in the School House and room hire in the Centre itself. This income also enables the Trustees to employ a part-time manager for the Centre.
Since opening in 1997 the following organisations have provided grant funding support to the Charity for projects:
Beatrice Laing Trust
Co-op Local Community Fund
Dartmoor National Park Authority
Dartmoor Trust
Devon County Council
Foyles Foundation
Garfield Weston
Lloyds Bank Foundation
Luscombe and Maye
National Grid
National Lottery Community Fund
Rank Foundation
South Brent Community Energy Society
South Brent Feoffees
South Brent Parish Council
South Brent Traders
South Brent Traders Calendar
South Hams District Council
Tudor Trust
Viscount Amory’s Charitable Trust
And last but not least thanks go to any other local organisations and the numerous individuals that have supported the Centre with donations over the years !!
Our History
In 1996 there was a community consultation (Village Voice – Community Study) which underpinned the purchase of the Centre, and which identified 6 key facilities the community wanted to see implemented – Library, Fitness Centre, Adult Education facilities, Meeting Place, Computer and IT training, provision for Youth and Under 5’s.
The Old School Centre began life in 1996 when a new Primary School was built on land nearby. Through a sustained community campaign the funds were raised to purchase the building, the adjacent School House and the playground – and then to undertake a first phase of refurbishment to open it as a community centre.
The Centre has proved financially sustainable since it’s opening and has been able to repay over £140,000 borrowed from local residents towards the purchase.
The Centre has developed since 1996 responding to the needs of the South Brent Community. When the doors first opened the focus was largely on adult education and support. This is still a core part of the work but the capacity of the centre has expanded over the years to serve a broad range of ages, groups and abilities.
In April 2012 we supported a new service ‘South Brent and District Caring’ to provide trained volunteers to help elderly, isolated and vulnerable local residents by offering befriending, practical support and affordable transport.
In recent years the car park, formerly the school playground, was given a much needed resurfacing to make it safe and accessible for all. External signage was updated to improve the awareness of the Centre within the community and make it easier for first time users to find their way into the building.
In partnership with South Dartmoor Academy a fully equipped and very affordable Fitness Centre was opened in 2015 in the former craft room of the old school. The development of the Fitness Centre, a key element of the Fit for the Future project, enabled a comprehensive internal refurbishment of the Centre.
The opening of the Fitness Centre marked the completion of providing the six facilities identified in the 1996 community consultation; a significant event in the Charity’s history. At this point, the Trustees decided to undertake a fundamental review of the Charity’s activity and use of resources, take stock and identify a positive way forward that would support and enthuse all residents of South Brent and the surrounding area. To do this we asked the community for their views in developing a Community Development Plan for at least the following 5 years, which resulted in the “Reaching out to Everyone” plan which informed the Trustees’ focus for several years.
When the Fitness Centre became no longer viable, the room was repurposed as a Community Hub, shared between South Brent & District Caring and Sustainable South Brent. Since 2022, this drop-in community space has brought new life to the Centre as it provides a permanent warm and welcoming space for people to drop in for coffee, cake, advice, support, to play games, hotdesk, and much more.
In 2024 the Centre entered a new phase as the Trustees began consulting with the Community about plans for the future rejuvenation of the Centre, as described above.
