MORE than 60 people have put their names forward to help with a community-run cafe, shop and heritage centre in a dale village – if the £200,000 project comes to fruition.
A group of residents in Cotherstone are working on proposals to convert the village’s disused Methodist chapel into a community hub for locals and visitors.
The Cotherstone Old Chapel Project team hopes to raise £100,000 towards the cost through a community shares scheme with the rest coming from grants and matched funding.
In May, every house in Cotherstone received a newsletter outlining the plans and detailing how the group hopes to bring them to fruition. Updating members of Cotherstone Parish Council, Chris Tarpey, a member of the group, said the Old Chapel Project had now become a community benefit society, allowing it to set up an official bank.
Mr Tarpey said he had been “very impressed” by the response to the newsletter.
“Sixty-six people have come forward as volunteers across all areas of the project,” he said.
Some had offered to serve on the various working groups that would be needed to co-ordinate the conversion of the chapel, while others had volunteered their services behind the counter once the hub is open. Cllr Richard Hunter asked how many people had committed money to the project. Mr Tarpey said the group had not asked people to put money into the scheme just yet.
“Quite a few people have said they are prepared to invest. We have started to ask informally to get an idea of how much may be possible.
“Until we get the lease sorted with the Methodist circuit, most people are saying ‘maybe’.”
Cllr Hunter added: “That’s the same with us.”
The parish council has committed £1,000 to the group as soon as the bank account is set up, with the possibility of another £1,500 to follow.
“We need to know how much financial commitment there is from residents before we put the rest of the money in,” said Cllr Hunter.
Mr Tarpey added: “With the financial situation, the debate we are having within the group is if we go out to ask people too early we might not get the response we want; if we leave it too late we are all still guessing.”
He said another meeting with representatives from the Methodist circuit regarding the lease was planned for later this month after which the roles and responsibilities regarding the running of the chapel should become clearer.
A further update on the progress of the chapel project will be given at the parish council’s next meeting on July 14. Councillors confirmed the £1,000 grant and said the remaining £1,500 was dependant on the lease being agreed in principal and evidence of commitment of funding from the community and external organisations.
