Herald column May 26th 2022
There was standing room only at Chesham House on Saturday as the doors were opened again for us to update the many volunteers and helpers who are integral to saving the centre. I gave an update on where we have got to in our discussions with the owners RVS and how we have managed to whittle down the deficit in operating costs before we can secure the centre’s reopening. Councillor Steve Neocleous has done a great job in working with generous local firms who have offered to donate equipment to help refurbish the flats so they can again be rented out to provide an income stream.
There is a full write-up of the meeting on the Save Chesham House Facebook page and my website and how you can help. We will be launching a crowd funding page shortly but essentially we have until the end of June to raise enough money and attract outside organisations who would like to hire room at Chesham House to provide secure income. At the moment it is only budgeted for 14 hours a week with no activity at weekends and I have already been approached by some sports clubs looking for a venue. We would also like suggestions on additional activities that can be held for the regular users of the centre too.
So, if you have any good ideas or are looking for space or would like to run a sponsored event say to raise funds, we would like to hear from you. Oh, and if you are a baker then we really want to get the café up and running again and restore its reputation for delicious cakes.
Congratulations are also due to Councillor Steve Neocleous who has just become the new Adur Cabinet Member for Regeneration. I was delighted to see that he has hit the ground running by establishing a review of the multiple developments going on along Shoreham Harbour triggered by the latest speculative proposals on the Frost’s site lacking proper social housing, parking or development details. He will certainly have my support on that and I will also be working with Councillor Kevin Boram to get the County Council to launch the long awaited parking audit for Shoreham too.
