CCMA was established in 2015 when the Old Hitchin Museum located at Charnwood (next to Hitchin library) closed to the public pending a planned move to a refurbished Hitchin Town Hall site. CCMA wanted to ensure that Charnwood was retained for the use by the Community. CCMA is a Charitable Incorporated Organization (CIO)
That move was delayed due to problems with the Town Hall project and did not occur until late 2019. Even now Charnwood has not been fully vacated and, in the meantime, is deteriorating through neglect.
Since its establishment in 2015 CCMA has undertaken a detailed survey of the building, drawn up plans for modifications to make it suitable for community use, prepared a detailed cost plan and drawn up an outline business plan
At a recent NHDC cabinet meeting the Councillors agreed that the building should be used by the community and accepted that the Council would need to pay for repairs to the building. However, CCMA will also need to raise funds to cover the cost of the internal modifications required and work with the Council to ensure the widest possible Community engagement to return Charnwood for use by its residents.
With a change of pace of activity much previous work needs to be reviewed. CCMA needs to strengthen its Trustee team and bring in expertise in several areas. We are seeking people who can give some of their time and have relevant business or charity experience. We need people who are excited about the possibilities offered by creating a community hub at Charnwood and keen to work in a team to make this happen
We are currently in a phase where we need to raise funds and engage with local residents and groups. We will then be in a position to refurbish the building and open it up as a community hub
