Auchmountain Community Resource Centre - A state of the art community resource centre designed with the community
Key contact: Jet Gallacher
Address: 32 Burnhead Street, Greenock, PA15 3LG
Telephone: 01475 791 818/ 791 588
Email: auchmountaincentre@hotmail.co.uk
In a nutshell
At Auchmountain Community Resource Centre, we host a variety of community facilities that caters for everyone in the surrounding communities. We offer a range of information services and workshops. Our services include a community cafe, laundrette, music studio, adult education programme and a youth drop-in. And we provide access to rooms for meetings, printing facilities and internet ready computers.
The issues addressed
Auchmountain suffered from:
• poor housing
• high unemployment
• high drug/drink misuse
• lack of facilities for young people
• little community safety for all residents especially older members of the community.
The approach to the issues
A survey of the area highlighted that the local community wanted improved services through a community resource facility - accessible by neighbouring areas - where they could access a variety of information and services - a 'One Stop Shop'. The aim is to:
• provide local people with support and guidance, to actively develop their own learning
• build on community capacity through volunteers and wider community involvement in the project, creating a greater sense of belonging
• improve on the health, well being and security of local people
• promote equal opportunities and contribute to the regeneration of surrounding communities, enabling them to influence community planning.
Setting up the work
The idea for the centre came from local people working with Inverclyde Council. We set up a local management committee to work on the centre.
The community had a 'wish list' of facilities for their centre. The committee met regularly to take these ideas forward with the council and the architects for the centre.
The committee and the council met with service providers on a regular basis to discuss the needs of the local community.
Renovations and equipment funded by Better Neighbourhood Services Fund turned the centre into a 'state of the art' community facility.
The centre is built on a partnership between Inverclyde Council and the local community – who volunteer their services. Other agencies, including Strathclyde Police, the Health Board and James Watt College deliver services in our centre.
Evidence of success
The whole area has benefited from having a community facility that hosts a variety of drop-ins, workshops and classes:
• The youth drop-in has over 50 young people coming five evenings per week. This keeps them safe and off the streets. And surrounding communities feel safer.
• There is a greater sense of belonging for both adults and young people – it gets them out of the house and gives them a focal point.
• Young people have taken part in courses on fire safety, first aid and sexual health – these are transferable skills they can take with them outside the Centre.
• Our volunteers have been encouraged to take an active part in the running of the centre and this can help their prospects of finding employment.
One great thing – Joined up working
Joined up working with various agencies has improved the services that we provide to our users. Our 'one stop shop' approach allows users to:
• buy a nutritional low cost meal
• do their washing
• save weekly with their local credit union
• meet health visitors who will advise them on health related issues, for example, stop smoking, access healthy eating courses that encourages healthy eating
• participate in our Weight Wise Programme and in our Keep Fit courses.
Lessons learnt
Amongst other things, we have learnt that:
• If at first you don't succeed then do try again. There are no mistakes only learning curves.
• Partnership working with various organisations - particularly the council - enhances the services that we can provide. Working with a variety of agencies means that we can attract more local people to the Centre.
• Everyone is an individual and has different needs - so what works with one may not necessarily work with another.
• The more information that you can give to people using the centre the more they will benefit from your service.
