Garon Park Community Interest Company (GP CIC) & Wellbeing at Garon Park CIO
GP CIC was founded in 2015, with the aim of providing ‘sustainable destination sports and wellbeing facilities’ to the local community.
GP CIC is a company limited by guarantee and is directed by a Board of local volunteer Directors, with specialist skills to ensure proper compliance and processes are applied to all activities.
GP CIC commissioned a report to assess the health and wellbeing of the local area and to look at how we could best use the ground to help alleviate some of the most serious social impacts facing the local community. We found that in the local community, life expectancy among men was 9 years less than the national average and 7 years less for women, which in itself is shocking, but that local people’s usage of the NHS was 1.6 of the national average (1). We also established the area had high immigration rates and local wards were in the top 5% of the country’s most deprived.
We drew up our outline plans and ran various consultations events within the local community, one of which attracted over 3,000 attendees, and formulated a plan, which included the setting up of a charity, Wellbeing at Garon Park (WBGP) and then started our work to find the funding to finance our levelling up mission.
WBGP is a registered charity CIO and is directed by a Board of local volunteer Trustees, with specialist skills and experience which compliment the target aims of the charity. WBGP’s aim is to use the natural wealth of the site to “improve the mental and physical health and wellbeing of the local community, while enhancing the beauty, biodiversity and environmental value of the site.”
In 2019 GP CIC signed a substantial Lease on the 32 acres site with Norman Garon Trust, after jointly raising £1.7m for sports and wellbeing facilities with WBGP in the same year.
GP CIC completed the installation of a 3G football pitch in January 2020 and in March 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic struck and we, as the rest of the nation, had to close. It was however not all bad news as we had funds to build the WBGP offer, the Vitality Park, which features a near 1k specialist fitness pathway with activities spaced along the route.
The site operates a ‘levelling up’ agenda, which means we offer the same access to a safe, non-judgemental facilities to everyone.
In 2019 we employed 1 person on site, in 2022 that has gone up to 12, all from the local community.
The site has been financially sustainable from day 1 with our business plan based on letting and licensing facilities to suitable local partner organisations to deliver community services in our facilities.
The regeneration of the site allowed us to immediately provide the community with safe facilities and activities to improve their mental and physical health after lockdown in April 2021 – a time when local people were struggling disproportionately with the challenges of the pandemic.
We were extremely pleased therefore, when in June 2021 we were chosen by the Local Authority to deliver the Community Regeneration Fund (CRF – In2Volunteering and In2Work) – and Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) programmes locally – both of which have proven our model’s ability to provide a first class, focused execution at scale.
Clive Shiret
Director
Garon Park CIC provides destination quality facilities for the use of the whole community equally.
Our funding model relies on us programming different users and activities into our various facilities at different times of the day, 7 day a week, and the more facilities we have the greater the amount of regular access we can provide for everyone.
GP CIC has a masterplan for developing the site further to benefit the mental and physical health and wellbeing of the local community.
Our plans include:
There is currently 1 x 3G football pitch on site. GP CIC are working with the Football Foundation to provide a second 3G pitch, including changing facilities. Trinity FC will be our lead key club with further key club partners announced as the project progresses
Our aim is to install a full size Gen2 multiuse pitch, focussing on Hockey and Netball, both Olympic sports. Southend has a need for a pitch to accommodate these sports after the loss of local facilities and the continued high levels of demand, especially in development of youth, which justify the inclusion in our plans. We are partnering Southend Hockey Club in this activity and we will be collecting further interested groups as the project progresses
There are significant levels of deprivation in the local area with all that brings in terms of poor health and wellbeing outcomes. We plan to provide Camping Pods for families to forget life’s usual daily pressures and use all the specialist facilities to help family units interact and relax in our safe environment. The plan also provides social dining facilities and all the domestic facilities to make for a successful stay.
In front of the clubhouse we have a vital community area, which houses an extremely busy playground and a multi age social and physical fitness area. The plan is to introduce an all weather surface and more shelter so the area offers a year around clean outdoor activity space.
We have produced a base line survey and GAP analysis report, including extensive consultations with local young people over the course of the year. The aim of the project is to provide a multidisciplined safe area, where our local young people can socialise, get fit, practise life skills, vocational skills and hobbies while following a path way to their future lives. The aim is to initially provide a large sports hall and a large social facility with associated resources. We are currently involved with a major funding partner to provide base facilities and if successful we will be having a major push to finance further associated facilities which our research suggests would be welcomed by the youth community – further details to follow.
We are producing plans to turn our scoreboard into a large multi disciplined Heritage Arts Centre for visual arts. The plan revolves around the use of the area by the community as a whole, in keeping with our overall vision for the site.
Garon Park Community Interest Company (GP CIC) & Wellbeing at Garon Park CIO
GP CIC was founded in 2015, with the aim of providing ‘sustainable destination sports and wellbeing facilities’ to the local community.
GP CIC is a company limited by guarantee and is directed by a Board of local volunteer Directors, with specialist skills to ensure proper compliance and processes are applied to all activities.
GP CIC commissioned a report to assess the health and wellbeing of the local area and to look at how we could best use the ground to help alleviate some of the most serious social impacts facing the local community. We found that in the local community, life expectancy among men was 9 years less than the national average and 7 years less for women, which in itself is shocking, but that local people’s usage of the NHS was 1.6 of the national average (1). We also established the area had high immigration rates and local wards were in the top 5% of the country’s most deprived.
We drew up our outline plans and ran various consultations events within the local community, one of which attracted over 3,000 attendees, and formulated a plan, which included the setting up of a charity, Wellbeing at Garon Park (WBGP) and then started our work to find the funding to finance our levelling up mission.
WBGP is a registered charity CIO and is directed by a Board of local volunteer Trustees, with specialist skills and experience which compliment the target aims of the charity. WBGP’s aim is to use the natural wealth of the site to “improve the mental and physical health and wellbeing of the local community, while enhancing the beauty, biodiversity and environmental value of the site.”
In 2019 GP CIC signed a substantial Lease on the 32 acres site with Norman Garon Trust, after jointly raising £1.7m for sports and wellbeing facilities with WBGP in the same year.
GP CIC completed the installation of a 3G football pitch in January 2020 and in March 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic struck and we, as the rest of the nation, had to close. It was however not all bad news as we had funds to build the WBGP offer, the Vitality Park, which features a near 1k specialist fitness pathway with activities spaced along the route.
The site operates a ‘levelling up’ agenda, which means we offer the same access to a safe, non-judgemental facilities to everyone.
In 2019 we employed 1 person on site, in 2022 that has gone up to 12, all from the local community.
The site has been financially sustainable from day 1 with our business plan based on letting and licensing facilities to suitable local partner organisations to deliver community services in our facilities.
The regeneration of the site allowed us to immediately provide the community with safe facilities and activities to improve their mental and physical health after lockdown in April 2021 – a time when local people were struggling disproportionately with the challenges of the pandemic.
We were extremely pleased therefore, when in June 2021 we were chosen by the Local Authority to deliver the Community Regeneration Fund (CRF – In2Volunteering and In2Work) – and Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) programmes locally – both of which have proven our model’s ability to provide a first class, focused execution at scale.
Clive Shiret
Director
Garon Park CIC provides destination quality facilities for the use of the whole community equally.
Our funding model relies on us programming different users and activities into our various facilities at different times of the day, 7 day a week, and the more facilities we have the greater the amount of regular access we can provide for everyone.
GP CIC has a masterplan for developing the site further to benefit the mental and physical health and wellbeing of the local community.
Our plans include:
There is currently 1 x 3G football pitch on site. GP CIC are working with the Football Foundation to provide a second 3G pitch, including changing facilities. Trinity FC will be our lead key club with further key club partners announced as the project progresses
Our aim is to install a full size Gen2 multiuse pitch, focussing on Hockey and Netball, both Olympic sports. Southend has a need for a pitch to accommodate these sports after the loss of local facilities and the continued high levels of demand, especially in development of youth, which justify the inclusion in our plans. We are partnering Southend Hockey Club in this activity and we will be collecting further interested groups as the project progresses
There are significant levels of deprivation in the local area with all that brings in terms of poor health and wellbeing outcomes. We plan to provide Camping Pods for families to forget life’s usual daily pressures and use all the specialist facilities to help family units interact and relax in our safe environment. The plan also provides social dining facilities and all the domestic facilities to make for a successful stay.
In front of the clubhouse we have a vital community area, which houses an extremely busy playground and a multi age social and physical fitness area. The plan is to introduce an all weather surface and more shelter so the area offers a year around clean outdoor activity space.
We have produced a base line survey and GAP analysis report, including extensive consultations with local young people over the course of the year. The aim of the project is to provide a multidisciplined safe area, where our local young people can socialise, get fit, practise life skills, vocational skills and hobbies while following a path way to their future lives. The aim is to initially provide a large sports hall and a large social facility with associated resources. We are currently involved with a major funding partner to provide base facilities and if successful we will be having a major push to finance further associated facilities which our research suggests would be welcomed by the youth community – further details to follow.
We are producing plans to turn our scoreboard into a large multi disciplined Heritage Arts Centre for visual arts. The plan revolves around the use of the area by the community as a whole, in keeping with our overall vision for the site.
Wellbeing At Garon Park is a CIO with the purpose of providing sustainable facilities that can be used to improve local health and wellbeing, as well as enhancing the beauty, biodiversity and environmental value of the 30-acre Garon Park site in Southend on Sea.
The anchor feature is the wellbeing trail which includes multipurpose pathways for cycling, running, walking and wheelchair access. The trail will be used by 100s and act as a hub for community and wellbeing initiatives, including the Nature and Art Trails. There will be path seating and shelters at feature points around the wellbeing site for:
Rest and reflection
Enjoyment of vista points
Relaxation in the Sensory Garden
Enjoyment of the Nature Pond
We also plan to develop:
A Nature School
A Community Garden for gardening experiences, achievement and social interaction
An Orchard majoring on native Essex species of fruit trees
An Outdoor Gym
An Arts & Crafts centre
For those wanting to develop their practical woodworking skills we have the Garon Park Shed open and ready for use. And, of course, our Clubhouse will be open for all those who want to meet and seat!
The Charity’s Object as stated in our Constitution
To assist charities and charitable bodies working for the benefit of the inhabitants of the Borough of Southend on Sea and surrounding areas by providing and maintaining secure and private facilities:
a) to promote and protect the good physical, mental and sensory health of the residents; and/or
b) for the recreation or other leisure time occupation of those residents who have need of such facilities by reason of their health, infirmity or disablement in the interests of social welfare and with the object of improving their conditions of life.
Purpose
Provide sustainable facilities at Garon Park that can be used to improve local health and wellbeing outcomes via community self-help
Enhance the beauty, biodiversity and environmental value of the Garon Park site
Develop and maintain the internal systems and workforce that ensure that Garon Park is a safe, caring environment for all children, young people and adults, regardless of their individual needs
Work in partnership with local organisations to ensure that the value and use of the facilities at Garon Park is maximised
Monitor, Evaluate and Learn (MEL) from site activity by users of Garon Park to:
ensure we have a positive impact on the physical, mental and sensory health of local residents
develop new facilities and enhance existing ones in line with local community needs
Provide a range of best practice volunteering opportunities
Wellbeing @ garon park
Develop & maintain facilities to support Health & Wellbeing activities at Garon Park
Co-ordinate the booking of facilities at the Garon Park site
Co-ordinate the volunteer force supporting the Garon Park site
Community groups
Organise activities to exploit the facilities at Garon Park
Set goals for Health & Wellbeing outcomes and monitor progress
Manage community group membership and activities
Care
We will provide sustainable facilities that improve local health and wellbeing outcomes via self-help
We will act as a catylyst for the local community to enhance pride, resilience and self-sufficiency
We will ensure that we protect and enhance the local ecology and environment of the Garon Park site
We will provide creative solutions that meet local community needs and deliver value for money
Compassion
We will support community self-help to sustain physical, mental or emotional wellbeing
We will be sensitive to and act upon the stated needs of the local community
We will show perseverance, patience, tolerance, warmth and resolve
We will act in an altruistic way
Integrity
We will reflect the principles and objectives of the wellbeing@garonpark charity in what we do
We will act with respect, honesty, truthfulness and accuracy
We will behave in an ethical way
We will ensure that we are seen as dependable and reliable in our relationships
Co-operation
We will act for the common good and mutual benefit of the local community and the groups that represent it
We will partner with other groups and organisations where we can achieve a better outcome
We will show fairness, justice and courtesy to others
We will act in a rational, realistic and flexible way
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Charity Number: 1178841 | Address:Cricket Pavilion, Garon Park, Eastern Avenue, Southend on Sea, Essex SS2 4FA
© 2022 Wellbeing @ Garon Park.