Leeds Social Centre Update
The last Leeds ARC meeting (Thursday 6th May) was dedicated to discussion
about setting up a Social Centre in Leeds. Turn out was great with about 40
people coming along to Holy Trinity Church Café, Boar Lane to get involved.
Through the Dissent! network (a network of resistance against the G8 - the
group of Eight most industrialised nations, whose 2005 summit will be held
in Britain.) cash (max £10 K) may be available for local groups involved in
the Dissent! network to set up and run a local Social Centre. Groups wishing
to benefit from the cash are to submit their proposal/ideas for their social
centre in about one month's time (actual
date not yet known).
We hope for a radical space, 'owned' by many people and groups, beyond Leeds
ARC, who we see as a facilitator in getting this idea off the ground. The
purpose of the meeting was for people to hear about the availability of the
cash, to get involved from the very start and to see what people want in a
Social Centre in Leeds.
What do we want?
The following are ideas that people came up with:
Café, Coffee Shop, Office Space, Internet Access, Library, Info Spot, Food
Co-op, Free Shop, Health Space, Creche, Garden, Exhibition Space, Book Shop,
Workshop Space, Gig Space, Activities Space, a place with BIG notice
boards.
Somewhere where people can go with their children, somewhere that is
friendly and welcoming rather than a hard core lefty‚ place which will put
people off coming in for the first time, a space that can be use for raising
cultural awareness and skill sharing, an access point for people which will
build a movement/network, somewhere to hang out when you're not compelled to
buy something.
The space can become anything. It will be the people who own/use it who
will decide what the space is used for!
Buildings
The location of the centre was something that needed to be discussed and if
possible consensus reached in order to allow working groups to begin writing
the proposal and hunting out the ideal venue.
The main issues in deciding the location of the Social Centre were:
City Centre Versus Out of City Centre location
Sharing a space with Oblong
Short term Versus Long term Social Centre
The consensus was that people preferred a city centre location. Despite the
obvious higher cost people wanted a presence in Leeds centre which would be
accessible for all.
The choice of a city centre location ruled out the option of sharing space
with Oblong. Oblong is currently looking for a DIY music no- profit gig
venue. It had been thought that there may be areas of compatibility with a
social centre for these venues to be combined. However Oblong is a community
based project and specifically want to have a venue within a community.
People indicated that they had the energy to get the project going quickly
and set it up on a short term basis but did not necessarily want to set out
with the aim of having a permanent Social Centre... but who knows what
will come out of the process?
Where Next?
A couple of people have volunteered to put together a draft proposal which
will be circulated at the next meeting.
Volunteers have divided‚ up the city centre to scout out and follow up
possible venues with the aim of updating people about it at the next
meeting.
Next Meeting : Thursday 20th May 7.30 pm at the Café ,Holy Trinity Church,
Boar lane.
The last Leeds ARC meeting (Thursday 6th May) was dedicated to discussion
about setting up a Social Centre in Leeds. Turn out was great with about 40
people coming along to Holy Trinity Church Café, Boar Lane to get involved.
Through the Dissent! network (a network of resistance against the G8 - the
group of Eight most industrialised nations, whose 2005 summit will be held
in Britain.) cash (max £10 K) may be available for local groups involved in
the Dissent! network to set up and run a local Social Centre. Groups wishing
to benefit from the cash are to submit their proposal/ideas for their social
centre in about one month's time (actual
date not yet known).
We hope for a radical space, 'owned' by many people and groups, beyond Leeds
ARC, who we see as a facilitator in getting this idea off the ground. The
purpose of the meeting was for people to hear about the availability of the
cash, to get involved from the very start and to see what people want in a
Social Centre in Leeds.
What do we want?
The following are ideas that people came up with:
Café, Coffee Shop, Office Space, Internet Access, Library, Info Spot, Food
Co-op, Free Shop, Health Space, Creche, Garden, Exhibition Space, Book Shop,
Workshop Space, Gig Space, Activities Space, a place with BIG notice
boards.
Somewhere where people can go with their children, somewhere that is
friendly and welcoming rather than a hard core lefty‚ place which will put
people off coming in for the first time, a space that can be use for raising
cultural awareness and skill sharing, an access point for people which will
build a movement/network, somewhere to hang out when you're not compelled to
buy something.
The space can become anything. It will be the people who own/use it who
will decide what the space is used for!
Buildings
The location of the centre was something that needed to be discussed and if
possible consensus reached in order to allow working groups to begin writing
the proposal and hunting out the ideal venue.
The main issues in deciding the location of the Social Centre were:
City Centre Versus Out of City Centre location
Sharing a space with Oblong
Short term Versus Long term Social Centre
The consensus was that people preferred a city centre location. Despite the
obvious higher cost people wanted a presence in Leeds centre which would be
accessible for all.
The choice of a city centre location ruled out the option of sharing space
with Oblong. Oblong is currently looking for a DIY music no- profit gig
venue. It had been thought that there may be areas of compatibility with a
social centre for these venues to be combined. However Oblong is a community
based project and specifically want to have a venue within a community.
People indicated that they had the energy to get the project going quickly
and set it up on a short term basis but did not necessarily want to set out
with the aim of having a permanent Social Centre... but who knows what
will come out of the process?
Where Next?
A couple of people have volunteered to put together a draft proposal which
will be circulated at the next meeting.
Volunteers have divided‚ up the city centre to scout out and follow up
possible venues with the aim of updating people about it at the next
meeting.
Next Meeting : Thursday 20th May 7.30 pm at the Café ,Holy Trinity Church,
Boar lane.
