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Have your say on Alington House crisis
The future of Alington House in Durham continues to be in doubt after a vote on its future was delayed until July. What do you think of the crisis affecting this valuable community association?p>
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9:41am Friday 23rd May 2008
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CommentPosted by: Moira Rutherford, Lanchester on 11:29am Fri 5 Oct 07
Sir, Like many others who value Alington House and its facilities, I am alarmed at the speed at which the trustees are sending it to its doom. I was unable to attend the meeting in August but was told that 60 people who cared about its future did attend and were told that it would have to close in December. It seemed to be a device for shocking users of the house to rapidly make other arrangements which, of course, has the knock-on effect of reducing usage. I have just heard that, as long ago as May, a member of the Alington House Council produced a business plan which included some very viable actions but this was not circulated to the full governing body or discussed by them. An extraordinary meeting was scheduled for October 18 which has now been cancelled and rescheduled for December 20 on the advice of Taylor Rowlands, the liquidators.This headlong rush, unsupported by members of the Association, Users and well-wishers of Alington House, to remove for ever this valuable part of Durham life, must be against the wishes of the founders. To hear that it is in the hands of the liquidators before any sensible rescue plan can be put in place is quite shocking. I remember visiting the youth club there in the late Forties and in the past 14 years have attended the Quaker Meeting there on Sunday mornings with the help of the cathedral bus.
Sir, Like many others who value Alington House and its facilities, I am alarmed at the speed at which the trustees are sending it to its doom. I was unable to attend the meeting in August but was told that 60 people who cared about its future did attend and were told that it would have to close in December. It seemed to be a device for shocking users of the house to rapidly make other arrangements which, of course, has the knock-on effect of reducing usage. I have just heard that, as long ago as May, a member of the Alington House Council produced a business plan which included some very viable actions but this was not circulated to the full governing body or discussed by them. An extraordinary meeting was scheduled for October 18 which has now been cancelled and rescheduled for December 20 on the advice of Taylor Rowlands, the liquidators.This headlong rush, unsupported by members of the Association, Users and well-wishers of Alington House, to remove for ever this valuable part of Durham life, must be against the wishes of the founders. To hear that it is in the hands of the liquidators before any sensible rescue plan can be put in place is quite shocking. I remember visiting the youth club there in the late Forties and in the past 14 years have attended the Quaker Meeting there on Sunday mornings with the help of the cathedral bus.
Posted by: Prof Gordon R Batho, Durham on 12:37pm Tue 9 Oct 07
There is a widespread belief that the trustees of Alington House Community Centre, Durham City decided to dispose of it before they called a meeting at a fortnight’s notice in August and, receiving an attendance of no fewer than 60 people, declared they had inadequate support.
When was the decision in fact taken and by whom?
Mrs Alington raised the money to buy the house from the cathedral to provide facilities for young people in the city. The house proved a blessing for a number of voluntary bodies seeking to hold meetings at a reasonable cost in the centre of Durham.
I know for a fact that people have offered their time to save the house and organisations who wish to pay to use the facilities, in addition to present users, have been discouraged and refused.
The trustees have declined to attend a meeting of those who wish to protest at the closure.
Surely Mrs Alington would have preferred that more energetic steps should be taken and present trustees be replaced by more progressive individuals rather then the house being sold and the money dispersed.
It is time to give others a chance to save this irreplaceable venue rather than allowing it and Mrs Alington’s wish to disappear,
There is a widespread belief that the trustees of Alington House Community Centre, Durham City decided to dispose of it before they called a meeting at a fortnight’s notice in August and, receiving an attendance of no fewer than 60 people, declared they had inadequate support.
When was the decision in fact taken and by whom?
Mrs Alington raised the money to buy the house from the cathedral to provide facilities for young people in the city. The house proved a blessing for a number of voluntary bodies seeking to hold meetings at a reasonable cost in the centre of Durham.
I know for a fact that people have offered their time to save the house and organisations who wish to pay to use the facilities, in addition to present users, have been discouraged and refused.
The trustees have declined to attend a meeting of those who wish to protest at the closure.
Surely Mrs Alington would have preferred that more energetic steps should be taken and present trustees be replaced by more progressive individuals rather then the house being sold and the money dispersed.
It is time to give others a chance to save this irreplaceable venue rather than allowing it and Mrs Alington’s wish to disappear,
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