The Community Hub at 82 Grimsby Road is the centre of all things Big Local North Cleethorpes
When? purchased 2018. open since 2019. Still open 2025
82 Grimsby Road is the office for Big Local North Cleethorpes and our community hub. It was purchased in 2018 using Big Local funding.
Buying a community hub
An original intention had been to build a community building on Sidney Park with a partnership between park users. Despite a lot of research and consultation with existing park users, there was not enough interest to invest in a new build, so a decision was taken to purchase a separate building nearby.
After a few buildings were investigated, 82 Grimsby Road was chosen due to its location in the heart of the Big Local North Cleethorpes area of focus. Capacity Buildings was identified as the custodian of the building on behalf of the Big Local North Cleethorpes committee and a deed of trust was signed to appoint them as owners in trust on behalf of the BLNC committee and the target area residents. The purchase was completed in August 2018.
The building was an old insurance office downstairs with a self contained flat upstairs and an empty, concrete, yard to the rear. The location is on a main road, with a bus stop outside and shops surrounding with free on street parking all around. An ideal location for the community.
Refurbishment
One of the Big Local North Cleethorpes committee partnership members was a retired general builder and he kindly volunteered to undertake much of the refurbishment work required to adapt this building to create a BLNC community hub. When other ‘paid for’ contractors were needed, they were identified by the committee members as businesses operating in the BLNC target area and invited to quote for the work required. Refurbishment was much more than a lick of paint. Walls were moved, doors changed, flat converted and more.
On completion of the refurbishment, the committee agreed to appoint a Cleethorpes based general builder on a ‘call-off’ contract to deal with any ongoing maintenance needs, subject to compliance with Capacity Buildings terms of appointment.
The hundreds of hours of volunteer effort put into the building made the overall purchase and refurbishment costs affordable and good value.
A shared office space
It was proposed and agreed by the committee that Capacity Buildings located it’s office in the Big Local North Cleethorpes Community Hub which enable positive cooperation between the committee members and the managing agent plus generated income from Capacity Buildings to help ensure the community hub’s sustainability. Voluntary Action North East Lincolnshire (VANEL) as the locally trusted organisation was also invited to co-locate a the BLNC hub again generating rental income to help with building running costs. Plus, VANEL was able to offer tailor-made project for the benefit of Cleethorpes residents and secure match funding to add value.
Using the building
Once open in 2019, Big Local North Cleethorpes committee meetings relocated to the building from their previous venue of Cleethorpes community fire station. The new building, with a large open front room and upstairs offices provided a range of options for meetings, training, groups and inviting in the local public.
We had a closure period of course through Covid – with Big Local services continuing to be provided in different ways remotely. But later in 2020 the Red Shed was constructed at the rear of the property and this generated completely new ways for residents to start using the building.
The outdoor space has been turned into a ‘plant pot garden’ for groups, visitors and individuals to enjoy.
The community hub is a growing and evolving building and space. Big Local and VANEL have chased funders and managed to bring in additional investment to develop the Red Shed specifically and to provide options such as a Winter Warmspace. UK Shared Prosperity Funding has allowed us to improve the furnishing and spaces for local visitors.
We did explore options to put solar panels on the roof at one point but the cost benefit review implied we would not actually generate enough income from it to justify the investment.
But other changes were made to the building. One of the most important is that the Red Shed at the rear can be used independently of the rest of the main building as it now has access to a toilet and kitchenette facility separate to the main building.
This has been very useful to run events and workshops in the shed at weekends or out of hours.
Providing cover for a community hub requires a team effort. This is where the co-location with the VANEL and CBL teams has been vital so that a rota could ensure the building has remained open and accessible to the community as much as possible. We managed to obtain further funding which has helped pay for a part-time building manager and this has been very useful. The Big Local North Cleethorpes committee acknowledge that without the help of VANEL and all the funders and all our partners who help keep the building open, keeping the lights on and the doors open at a community hub would be near impossible.
The community hub today
As of 2025, at the end of the formal Big Local North Cleethorpes programme, the Community Hub at 82 Grimsby Road is open for ‘business’ and welcomes in groups, partners and individuals on a regular basis. Find out more about our Social Hub here. And visit the current Big Local website to check current opening hours, projects, groups and more.
Refurbishment
The building as it was when it was purchased.
Rosie Chapman, Protector for Big Local nationally speaking at the opening event at 82 Grimsby Road:
This hub and building is really impressive & the work that has gone into it and its really encouraging to see this level of local commitment
The Community Hub today
Is a hive of activity, inside the building, inside the ‘red shed’ or outside in the garden areas.
New Artwork
Late 2024 a small grant allowed us to commission local artist Lynsey Powles to work with local young people to create some new artwork on our front shutters at the community hub. The young people designed the art based on their ideas of North Cleethorpes and learned to paint it themselves. A further, small, diorama piece of art was also installed in the community garden at the same time.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Capacity Buildings Ltd owns and manages the building for the community
VANEL is the Locally Trusted Organisation (LTO) and is located in the building