[azul]

Has anyone got a progress report community stand project

Not much sign of progress but I am sure it is only a matter of time before it is up and running

[dalekpete]

azul, on 18 November 2010 - 09:24 PM, said:

Has anyone got a progress report community stand project

Not much sign of progress but I am sure it is only a matter of time before it is up and running

The fitting out and medium-term running costs of the project needs a sum approaching seven figures.

The finance for this is a combination of income streams from the Trust controlled floor space, external revenue projects, commercial rent from community partners and grants. Most of the ongoing revenue has to be underwritten by soft loans from funders who exist to support this sort of projects.

This means a major jigsaw puzzle of contracts, business plans,grant applications and short and medium term loans. One of the trustees is working full-time on this with the other two contributing a significant part of their working week. There are also others linked to those trustees putting in work on aspects of the trust's business (as well as the work of the community coaches). Several times the jigsaw has looked complete only for a piece to be wrong. There are enough pieces and the whole project is viable but it is a real issue getting those pieces to fit!

[azul]

dalekpete, on 18 November 2010 - 10:05 PM, said:

The fitting out and medium-term running costs of the project needs a sum approaching seven figures.

The finance for this is a combination of income streams from the Trust controlled floor space, external revenue projects, commercial rent from community partners and grants. Most of the ongoing revenue has to be underwritten by soft loans from funders who exist to support this sort of projects.

This means a major jigsaw puzzle of contracts, business plans,grant applications and short and medium term loans. One of the trustees is working full-time on this with the other two contributing a significant part of their working week. There are also others linked to those trustees putting in work on aspects of the trust's business (as well as the work of the community coaches). Several times the jigsaw has looked complete only for a piece to be wrong. There are enough pieces and the whole project is viable but it is a real issue getting those pieces to fit!

So when do you see the pieces of the jigsaw coming together?

What is the next junction on the road map?

[Spireite61]

What impact, if any are the public sector spending cuts going to have on the project? As I understood it, a large part of the stand was to be utilised by the Public Sector, if these bodies are now being cut or abandoned is this going to effect the viability of the community stand?

[johnd51]

Spireite61, on 19 November 2010 - 06:39 AM, said:

What impact, if any are the public sector spending cuts going to have on the project? As I understood it, a large part of the stand was to be utilised by the Public Sector, if these bodies are now being cut or abandoned is this going to effect the viability of the community stand?

Last time I raised this people were at pains to tell me everything was on schedule. When is the real truth going to be told. Although laudable for many reasons the benefits to the football club are spurious. Why not give up some of the space back to the club for a supporters' bar?
(Interestingly people opposing that idea were saying it would cost £250,000 to fit out. Now the whole project fit is less than a million, including some operating costs. Knowledge is power?!!

[RikShaw]

johnd51, on 19 November 2010 - 09:33 AM, said:

Last time I raised this people were at pains to tell me everything was on schedule. When is the real truth going to be told. Although laudable for many reasons the benefits to the football club are spurious. Why not give up some of the space back to the club for a supporters' bar? (Interestingly people opposing that idea were saying it would cost £250,000 to fit out. Now the whole project fit is less than a million, including some operating costs. Knowledge is power?!!

Could this be the reason for the delay....that maybe it is being re-evaluated? With the amount of money going over the bar in the Donkey Derby and other nearby places, I would certainly be re-assessing the possibilities.....

[JonB]

Maverick, on 19 November 2010 - 09:56 AM, said:

Could this be the reason for the delay....that maybe it is being re-evaluated? With the amount of money going over the bar in the Donkey Derby and other nearby places, I would certainly be re-assessing the possibilities.....

As i keep saying...this is fine for matchdays which is going to be 23 league games plus possible cup games....what about the rest of the year or are they going to leave a good chunk of this stand sat idle for 90% of the year?

[moondog]

Maverick, on 19 November 2010 - 09:56 AM, said:

Could this be the reason for the delay....that maybe it is being re-evaluated? With the amount of money going over the bar in the Donkey Derby and other nearby places, I would certainly be re-assessing the possibilities.....

It could serve as a creche in the week for wives & girlfriends to drop us off as they saunter around tesco, re-running the previous game on TV screens...

[clarevoyant.]

JonB, on 19 November 2010 - 10:06 AM, said:

As i keep saying...this is fine for matchdays which is going to be 23 league games plus possible cup games....what about the rest of the year or are they going to leave a good chunk of this stand sat idle for 90% of the year?

AS was discussed on an extensive thread some time ago, let(hire) one of the unfurnished rooms out to local breweries for the day they could run a bar they have the equipment (they do real ale festivals)

A win win situation

We get decent beer and a matchday bar
The club receive income they wouldn't normally receive
The local breweries get to showcase their ales to a new market

[JonB]

clarevoyant., on 19 November 2010 - 10:24 AM, said:

AS was discussed on an extensive thread some time ago, let(hire) one of the unfurnished rooms out to local breweries for the day they could run a bar they have the equipment (they do real ale festivals)

A win win situation

We get decent beer and a matchday bar
The club receive income they wouldn't normally receive
The local breweries get to showcase their ales to a new market

I can get that but the ones above appear to be suggesting a fully fledged and permanent bar that i dont think is workable other than 23 plus the odd cup game days a year.

[clarevoyant.]

JonB, on 19 November 2010 - 10:30 AM, said:

I can get that but the ones above appear to be suggesting a fully fledged and permanent bar that i dont think is workable other than 23 plus the odd cup game days a year.

I have always advocated the "local breweries" idea be used for match days only (saturday) as the room would be put to other use midweek

[RikShaw]

JonB, on 19 November 2010 - 10:30 AM, said:

I can get that but the ones above appear to be suggesting a fully fledged and permanent bar that i dont think is workable other than 23 plus the odd cup game days a year.

Don't think of it as just a pub, but a bar/coffee/informal meeting place. Perfect position for shoppers/business people to have a morning coffee, sandwich, light snack, maybe even a glass of wine during a week day or evening. Great location, easy parking....like I said not just a pub for football fans, but something that could benefit quite a few others.

[DIFH]

clarevoyant., on 19 November 2010 - 10:24 AM, said:

AS was discussed on an extensive thread some time ago, let(hire) one of the unfurnished rooms out to local breweries for the day they could run a bar they have the equipment (they do real ale festivals)

A win win situation

We get decent beer and a matchday bar
The club receive income they wouldn't normally receive
The local breweries get to showcase their ales to a new market

I DOUBT THE COST OF UPGRADING THE ROOM/FITTING OUT IS FEASABLE AS A TEMPORARY MEASURE - CAPITAL SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE AT THIS TIME FOR ME. ISN'T THIS BUILD INDEPENDANT OF THE B2NET ETC. SURELY PLANNING PERMISSION AND/OR CHANGE OF USE IS A MINEFIELD.

[JonB]

Maverick, on 19 November 2010 - 10:53 AM, said:

Don't think of it as just a pub, but a bar/coffee/informal meeting place. Perfect position for shoppers/business people to have a morning coffee, sandwich, light snack, maybe even a glass of wine during a week day or evening. Great location, easy parking....like I said not just a pub for football fans, but something that could benefit quite a few others.

So its a coffee shop not a pub but happens to serve beer? Is that going to drag people out of the various pubs around the ground when effectively all that could be on offer is not much different to in the concourses?

[The Earl of Chesterfield]

JonB, on 19 November 2010 - 10:30 AM, said:

I can get that but the ones above appear to be suggesting a fully fledged and permanent bar that i dont think is workable other than 23 plus the odd cup game days a year.

But as has been pointed out ad infinitum - it doesn't have to be just a bar!

Creche? Classroom for visiting kids? A 'low budget' space for do's of one sort or another? Simple accomodation for the 'new' supporters club? What we're looking for is a multi-function room that can offer a pub style environment when required. Y'know, just like virtually every other club in the country has.

As things stand the CFSS have just an empty shell in return for their shares, at least this'd be something tangible to show for their acquiescence.

[dim view]

MDCCCLXVI, on 19 November 2010 - 11:50 AM, said:

As things stand the CFSS have just an empty shell in return for their shares, at least this'd be something tangible to show for their acquiescence.

Which do you think is more useful - the empty shell or the shares?.
Their 'acquiescence' could be seen as a major contributory factor in creating the supportive cooperative non conflict environment that is currently so successful here and so destructive at S6.

[Frank Thacker]

johnd51, on 19 November 2010 - 09:33 AM, said:

Last time I raised this people were at pains to tell me everything was on schedule. When is the real truth going to be told...

The experience of moving from one ground to another reminds me that schedules are published in good faith, then they go awry for perfectly sound, honest reasons. I am sure that no-one has been lied to in any of this.

[valemadness]

MDCCCLXVI, on 19 November 2010 - 11:50 AM, said:

But as has been pointed out ad infinitum - it doesn't have to be just a bar!

Creche? Classroom for visiting kids? A 'low budget' space for do's of one sort or another? Simple accomodation for the 'new' supporters club? What we're looking for is a multi-function room that can offer a pub style environment when required. Y'know, just like virtually every other club in the country has.

As things stand the CFSS have just an empty shell in return for their shares, at least this'd be something tangible to show for their acquiescence.

Having had a tour with Bruno at the start of the season, he told me that the east stand are aiming to have a cafe, s rehab (injury) centre, a play/ball pool area etc. Nothing was due to be started at least until November. Just cos there's nothing there yet, doesn't mean there won't be anything there.