“We are a Walney based community hub which strives to meet the needs of our community.”
WALNEY COMMUNITY
TRUST
Walney Community Trust has been in existence since 2003.
We are a registered charity (Charity number 1104799). Our official documents, including Annual Accounts and the Trustees’ Annual Report for each of the last five years, can be found here on the website of the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
The aims of the Walney Community Trust, which underpin all our activities, are those which were established in the original Declaration of Trust, our governing document, in December 2003:
(a) to provide facilities for recreational community and other leisure-time occupation in the interests of social welfare, and according to Christian principles, for persons who have need, by reason of their youth or age or social and economic circumstances, and with the object of improving their conditions of life in Walney in Barrow-in-Furness, as the Trustees may from time to time think fit; and
(b) to relieve persons who are in conditions of need or hardship or who are aged or sick, and to relieve the distress caused thereby in the said location and in such other parts of the United Kingdom or the world as the Trustees may from time to time think fit.
FUNDING
As a Trust, we are entirely dependent for our funding upon the generosity of external funding bodies and the gifts of private individuals. This funding enables us to pay the salaries of all our staff, maintain our premises and resource our activities.
Several of these funding bodies, in particular, have been faithful and generous in their support of the work of the Trust over a number of years.
OUR STAFF
We have five key staff:
Sam Taylor
General Manager and Trust Treasurer
Paula Robson
Lead Youth Worker
Post currently vacant
Youth Development Worker
Ros Harrison
Lead Community Worker
Cheryl Shields
AdministratorIn addition to these key staff, we employ some 12 other staff, supporting the youth work and community activities.
We are also very dependent on the considerable contribution of a large number of volunteers, the majority of whom are part of Spring Mount Church, Barrow.
OUR ACTIVITIES
The home of the Trust, and the base for most of our activities, is the Spring Mount Walney building on Amphritrite Street, Walney.
The Trust provides a wide range of activities, which can be roughly split into “youth based” and “community based”, often with considerable overlap between the two.
Youth activities include Youth Club sessions organised according to age groups, with issue-based sessions and a focus on emotional resilience, as well as more typical youth club activities; in addition, there is an increasing focus on both 1 to 1 mentoring sessions and work with small groups.
Up to date and detailed information on youth activities can be found as follows:
- Facebook: @Walney-Youth-Club-at-Spring-Mount-102319104651619
- Instagram: @WalneyYouthSM
Community activities are aimed at supporting both individual and families, with community meals, Toddlers sessions, a drop in café, Saturday evening family entertainment, “Bump, Baby and Beyond”, as well as the provision of a variety of CAP (Christians Against Poverty) courses.
Up to date and detailed information on community activities can be found as follows:
- Facebook: @SpringMountWalney
OUR TRUSTEES
We are a group of six Trustees, meeting formally as a governing body at least six times per calendar year:
Shirley Waters
Shirley, now retired, has lived in Barrow all her life. She previously worked in an Estate Agents, an Accountants and a Solicitor’s office, where she acted as Deputy Superintendent Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages, and performed many marriage ceremonies. On retirement, she managed the Barrow and District Disability Association. She is also a Trustee for Boxes of Hope, Cumbria, distributing shoe boxes at Christmas to disadvantaged children in Romania.
Shirley is our Designated Trustee for Equality and Diversity.
Steve Pryer
Steve is a Barrovian who has worked in London for a US oil company and a large US bank. He later worked for a local building society in the positions of finance director, operations director and deputy chief executive. Steve currently works in the defence industry in a project management role. His qualifications include an MBA, Chartered Manager, project management and coaching qualifications.
Steve is our Designated Trustee for Finance and Risk Management.
Peter Docker
Peter is a lifelong Barrovian and has worked for 20+ years entirely in the public sector in an IT role in schools and now the local council. He also serves as a governor for Newbarns Primary and Nursery School.
Peter is our Designated Trustee for Health and Safety.
Alan Docker
A lifelong Barrovian, Alan was responsible for the Trust's inception after he acquired the Walney building. He has led it from its embryonic state to the present position, all the while sourcing funds to sustain and progress the youth and community work.
Hannah Croskery
A mum of two, Hannah is the Deputy Headteacher of a local primary school, with a particular responsibility for the development of information technology to assist learning. Apart from moving away to attend University, she has lived in Barrow all of her life. She has been involved with the Walney Community Trust for 20 years and is proud of how the community is served by each and every team member.
Hannah is our Designated Trustee for Safeguarding.
Jeff Chadd
Jeff is a retired teacher of modern languages, working locally at Cartmel Priory School, Ulverston Victoria High School and latterly as Deputy Principal at Barrow Sixth Form College; at retirement, he was Assistant Principal/Head of Sixth Form in the newly merged Furness College. Born in Manchester, he has lived in Barrow since 1990.
ADDRESS
Spring Mount Community Hall,
Amphitrite Street, Walney,
Cumbria LA14 3AR
(opposite the Co-Op)
Phone: 01229 471676