16 December 2024
The Zone - Health and Wellbeing Hub
Grant of £3000 for essential repairs to enable the building to continue its use as a community venue.
The Downderry Methodist Church has been a feature of village life for over 100 years. In 2023, the Saltash Methodist Circuit declared its intention to cease holding services in the building thus threatening its imminent closure. A Steering Group of local residents has taken on the task of stopping the deterioration of this iconic village building and bringing it back to life as a community owned and managed ‘Health and Wellbeing Hub’.
In order to do this, the Steering Group is currently negotiating with the Saltash Methodist Circuit, who are the owners of the Chapel. They are supportive of proposals, but are keen to achieve the best price for the building. The Steering Group has obtained positive planning guidance about continued community use of the building, but now need to get formal planning permission to help protect the building and site from future residential development and subsequent loss to the community.
This process will cost in the region of £750. In addition to funding the planning application, very urgent maintenance issues have been listed in a building survey carried out by a qualified surveyor, which initially identified over £30k of works needed to halt the deterioration and promote sustainability.
Whilst not wanting to ‘improve" the building and thus increase its sale value, the Group has identified a number of issues that urgently need addressing.
Current priorities are:
Renew access lights on the path/steps as these are now failing. Update fire detection and emergency lights within the building. £740
Replace and update lights in the large room. £1,770; Replace 3 windows with failed seals. £300
Total program expenditure £3,560
None of the above works will contribute at any increased value of the building for anything other than community use.
16 October 2024
Local Grant to light up Christmas
A grant of £400 has been awarded to Downderry & Seaton Village Hall to purchase Christmas lights for the centre of Downderry.
In what has become a local tradition at the start of Christmas celebrations, the trustees of the Village Hall are organising a Downderry Extravaganza weekend. On Saturday 30th November, there will be a Children's Lantern Parade (the children will make their own lanterns), singing around the village Christmas Tree led by Whitsand Harmony Choir, the Downderry Lights Switch-On by County Councillor, Armand Toms, before Santa arrives with gifts for the children. The celebrations include a Christmas Fair in the village hall throughout the weekend..
Donations from local residents continue to build the Community Fund which is restricted to support local needs that benefit the local community living in Downderry and Seaton
This traditional Christmas event is supported by residents and visitors and met the criteria set by the Fund with its focus on maintaining community activities and venues.
In confirming the grant awarded, the Chair of DaSRA's Management Committee said
" We are blessed to have such a resource available to our community - a resource not available within many small villages like ours. The Community Fund is there to enable local groups to access funding for the wide range of volunteer-led activities that need support. Recent awards include funds towards buying the village's community bus; the start-up fees for a future community-led village shop, and now its support to continue a tradition of bringing local residents and visitors together at the start of Christmas celebrations - the ever-bright Christmas lights!"
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23 October 2023.
Downderry & District Community Bus Association receives £2000 towards replacement 15-seater bus.
In making the case for funding , the Chairman of the Community Bus Association described the Assoociation as being at a critical point in our development cycle. The present bus has just entered its tenth year. and is overdue for replacement, after a previous plan to purchase a new bus was delayed in early 2020 by the Pandemic.
A new bus had to be ordered and was due for delivery hopefully in December. It will cost more than £93,000 -clearly an enormous sum for a small charity to raise. So far, more than £89,000, has been raised, helped especially by our Friends of the Bus and 300 Club fundraisers, and most recently by a grant from Deviock Parish Council. They hoped that a grant from DaSRA can now help to get over their fundraising over the line.
28 August 2023.
Community Fund agrees to start-up funding for Downderry Community Shop
DaSRA’s Management Committee considered that support for the work of the Steering Group of the Downderry Community Shop was within the remit of the Community Fund. Expenditure from the Fund is restricted to safeguarding community assets under threat in Downderry and Seaton, and where action within the scope of DaSRA funds could mitigate against a negative impact.
On responding to the announcement of the closure of Downderry Stores, DaSRA organised a Public Meeting for residents on 17 July 2023 to discuss how to respond to the closure of the village shop. Local residents volunteered their time and skills to join a Steering Group tasked to explore the feasibility of a community shop in Downderry.
It was clear that the fledging Steering Group needed start up funds to put in place an action plan to deliver their brief. After initial research and early expectation gauged from responses to a Survey on the topic, a community shop seemed feasible so the Downderry Community Shop needed funding to set-up an identity to communicate progress to residents. Hence a website, a facebook page and a dedicated email address were funded. It was also clear that the project would gain a great deal from becoming a member of the national Plunkett Foundation which offers advice, training, research and contacts for and among community businesses, such as community shops: https://plunkett.co.uk.
DaSRA' Committee agreed that the remit of the Steering Group met the criteria for funding.
Initial start-up costs from the Community Fund totalled £608.68 as at 28 August 2023
17/7/23 Printing Shop Survey launched at Public meeting £ 89.00
24//8/23 Plunkett Foundation Membership £240.00
10/8/23. Set-up WIX website domain £11.46
10/8/23. WIX web Hosting. Aug 2023 - 2024 £201.60
10/8/23 WIX email Google workspace £66.62
Background to The Community Fund. The management of the Fund is the responsibility of the elected Management Committee of Downderry and Seaton Residents Association (DASRA). DaSRA will report on all Fund activities at the organisation’s Annual General MeetingThe well-being of residents and the quality of life within the villages of Downderry and Seaton are central to the purpose of DASRA and were the defining motives for the establishment of the Community Fund. Applications for financial support from the Fund will be considered against this essential criteria.The Fund continues to grow as a result of donations from local residents, many received monthly by Standing Order, and many are relatively small amounts but by being pooled together, over time, local donors are contributing to a valuable resource for the communities of Downderry and Seaton.
23 November 2022.
Community Fund receives proceeds from book sales
DaSRA is delighted to receive a generous donation of £500 to the Community Fund from resident Jenny Jaycock, the proceeds (minus printing costs) from her book “Memories of the people of Downderry and Seaton by the people of Downderry and Seaton”. During the Covid lockdown of 2020, Jenny spent much time in contact with local residents who have lived for many decades in the village; some were born here. Jenny describes how the fabric of life in Downderry and Seaton has changed so dramatically in the post war period, and the book is aptly illustrated with photos supplied from the Downderry and Seaton Pictorial Facebook. The local population has grown significantly; the number of houses has mushroomed, by now filling all available sites, while the variety of local services has greatly diminished. No more butchers, dentist, electrical shop, haberdashery, hardware shop, garage. But the wind still blows, the rain still rains, the waves still roll and a community of committed residents are still actively preserving the essence of what makes Downderry and Seaton our home. "It is what it is and we still love it" says Jenny.
23 March 2022.
Community Notice Board.
The Notice Board sited near Downderry Stores has deteriorated over the years and was in dire need of being pulled down. Now it has been, replaced by a modern one, and is there to be used by community groups, advertising their services. DaSRA has addressed the years of its neglect by taking on the responsibility for replacing and maintaining what is a powerful communication tool in the centre of the village. Funding was provided by Downderry and Seaton Community Fund and Deviock Parish Council, and from a donation from a resident. Regular donations from local people are adding to this local Community Fund which is administered by DaSRA to give our community an enviable resource to protect local community assets under threat. If you would like to know more visit www.dasra.co.uk/community-fund or speak to DaSRA’s Chair, Laura Done on 01503 250911 or email info@dasra.co.uk
17 Nov 2021.
Community Fund supports purchase of Seaton Wildlife land,
Many residents will recall when our local Post Office was threatened with closure in 2016. A fund was launched to secure its continuation for a further two years, after which a self financing outreach service took over, and continues to this day. That fund is still being supported by some residents, and the D & S Community Fund grows month by month as a “fighting fund” to protect community assets of value to our quality of life. Last month, when 4.5 acres of Seaton woodland was being auctioned off with potential for “low-income generation”, our Parish Council launched a crowdfunding appeal to take the site into public ownership and create a wildlife woodland. It proved to be an example of how, with little warning, the community took an opportunity to act quickly and take control. Appreciating that its success in raising sufficient funds would go to the wire, DaSRA’s Management Committee stayed in close contact with DPC as we assessed if the threat posed to the site if sold to a developer would meet the criteria established for D & S Community Fund. We decided it did. In the final hours, a donation of £2000 was made from the Community Fund and, as we now know, the bid was accepted and this land is now in public ownership, secured for the long term to be a wildlife woodland - a real coming together of the community, getting behind this initiative of Deviock Parish Council. If you agree that this Fund can be a tremendous resource for our community when a local asset needs support, and you would like to help it grow, details can be found on www.dasra.co.uk or do contact Laura Done, Chair, DaSRA 01503 250911
