WANTED! Wanted! WANTED !

Experienced project planners

A fantastic building ‘gifted’ to the residents of Mytholmroyd and district for community use.

Still needs all the amenities installed to cater for a variety of future users – Electricity, water, drainage etc

No kidding – heck of a lot of work, worries and concerns before this is open for use by our future generations.

It is up to us (You ???? !!!!)

For more details – email

communityhub.myt@btinternet.com

Another year – but still plodding on with the Building project!

The Station Building, Mytholmroyd, CIO 117 4609

Interim Newsletter January 23^th 2023

Following my earlier New Year’s update, the last few days have been most encouraging – thanks to the latest trustees on the Board of the Charitable Incorporated Organisation.

Three younger women have joined– first up was Sarah Grundy – retired Make-up Artist Manager from Manchester TV world now resident in Hebden Bridge. Followed by Nicky King, retired medic and recent arrival to Mytholmroyd, whose skills are many and varied; joined by friend Katie Bates, retired civil servant now doing all sorts, that includes her trusteeship with the Station Building.    Together, these three young women have set the pace. Ideas, ideas, more ideas – but plenty of action as well.

The Apprenticeship Project: Calderdale College has introduced a new qualification – T Level in Business Studies. Following two years of study and practical experience successful students will be awarded an equivalent of three A levels. The Course will cover various aspects of business protocol, including Charity Administration Rules and Regs, the Railway, local businesses, arranging local events – the list is long. And will be of benefit to the community as well as the CIO.            There are two students are eager to start the T Level Qualification aligned with the Station Building here in Mytholmroyd.          No panic, start date is the 2^nd of February 2023.

 Difficult, well impossible, to house the students in a building that has no electricity, water, heating etc etc. Thinking caps on for appropriate accommodation for one day (Thursdays) a week for two years; 45 hours over that time.

 Nobody scuttled away, all worked together resulting in emails posted to two local businesses.

 Mytholmroyd  Businesses came up trumps – our request to Mark Coup, Director of  Welcome Independent Living in New Road came flying back, almost within the hour, welcoming the project and offering use of its space; plus a very supportive letter from Heidi Bingham, Director The Chapel on Hall Bank Lane.

Darren Allsop, Stakeholder Manager Eastern Region, Northern Trains welcomed this initiative and offered help and support for its success.

He referred the trustees to Richard Isaac Community Manager Eastern Region Northern Trains the specific request for rail passes for the two students.    Thank you, Darren and Richard.

The dye is cast; the trustees, together with Calderdale College Reps will be inspecting the new premises soon and are confident that this Project will be up and ready for the start date of 2^nd of February 2023.

The following day there was an interesting and helpful meeting with Andrew Curran, Dermot Skelly and contingents from Network Rail. Another visit around the building: the overwhelming feeling of Trustees and Network Rail Management is that ‘something should be done’ the current weather pattern is doing the building’s fabric no good at all. The hope is that funds already in place could be used to start remedial works on the building, insulation perhaps, electrical installation?

Altogether, working together the aspiration of seeing this listed Grade II building re-used for the benefit of the community now and for the future generations is possible.

Lets make it happen!

Sue

Hon. Secretary

Where is the time going…….?

It is 12 months since we included WordPress – and what a year that has been.

Without going into the fine details – we are negotiating a Lease for the former station building.

Things like this are not easy – and ours is no exception.

A meeting with the owners, Network Rail is scheduled soon – and any outcome will be broadcast here.

In the meantime – have you thought about becoming a Trustee of a Charitable Incorporated Organisation?

The amount of time involved is very much up to each Trustee.

Obviously we would look for anyone with a passion (and usefully, experience) for a community based project like ours.

Think about it please – and any queries contact

Geoff Mitchell, Chairman, The Station Building Mytholmroyd CIO Number 1174609

email: communityhub.myt@btinternet.com

March 2021 – news bits

Quite a while since we posted here – not that we have been doing nothing!

Obviously the station gardening has had to be ‘Paused’ due to the Covid restrictions – but the Spring flowers are coming out and promises to be a grand display soon.

Station Building – has kept us busy. Waiting for a Lease to convert into a Community Hub.

Network Rail, with the assistance of the Railway Heritage Trust and Historic England have renovated the building. The station building charity are seeking the funding to furnish the interior.

Keen interest for studio space from local artists.

Further details from communityhub.myt@btinternet.com

Key – to travel…..

Former station building – News

Station Building – to Let. What is going on? Well. what was going to be a quiet week (for us) suddenly changed when we were invited to a meeting being held by Network and Northern Rail managers to review their future plans for the station building now that the core and shell works were complete. Northern had decided that it did not require any space in the building, so Network Rail decided to advertise for a tenant for the building (noticeboards are up), but due it’s ‘quirky’ layout they did not expect there would be a single commercial tenant for the building. In that case, Network Rail would prefer to let to a single (community) tenant who would do the fit out and manage its use – namely the Station Building charity group. Network Rail stated that a long lease term (25 years) might be possible for the Station Building Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), and that the rental of the lease would depend on what activities were in the building. The more community activities the lower the rent would be, but if more commercial the rent would be higher. Network Rail will only accept a single tenant – who could sub-let, bearing in mind that any non-community activity could attract higher rents. The running of the building must be viable – some income from all users. The CIO Trustees were invited to – • Work out demand and potential usage of the building • Produce business plan to show what would be an economic business model for the operation of the station. • Negotiate lease with Network Rail • Appoint architect/project manager • suitable design for fit out works – water, electricity etc • and estimated cost of works, so that can develop funding package for the works. Interesting times ! At present, there will be no access to/from the building via the platform. Rooms on first and second floors will be via steps only – suitable for private studios etc. We hope to have a meeting with the railway soon in order to clarify their conditions. Once we have an outline plan, we will be calling a Public Meeting to discuss what the community want. So, some of our aspirations for a community hub in the refurbished station building. Ground floor – step-free. A café reading room – Library with community café, also available for drop-in centres and other social functions during the day. Becomes a community meeting room during the evening. The Station Partnership is already associated with the Community Rail Lancashire and all their socially inclusion projects – their recent Autism Aware train. Likewise, we are ‘twinned’ with Bentham station and their internationally acclaimed Dementia Awareness project. We would consider similar facilities here at Mytholmroyd – plus educational projects on safe and responsible train travel for the youngsters at our local and regional schools. First and Second floors – steps only (at present). Private studios for artists and other creative people – who we know, are all around this district. These are just a few of the current ideas on possible community uses – must be many more……. So, it could be up to us, the local community what happens to the station building!

Quite a while since we have been ‘on-the-air’ or Blogging! Not that we have not been busy – far from it. The Mytholmroyd station project is going from strength to strength. More community schemes are afoot – planning for a garden for the young cub scouts and others to call ‘their own. Station Building – renovation work complete and it is superb. Now looking how the local community might be able to run it as a Hub. More to follow….

Think On – had enough of the jams? Remember there are two trains per hour from Mytholmroyd to/from Halifax taking 13 minutes. Also two per hour to/from Todmorden taking 11 minutes. Check Northern Railways App for Journey Planning and Real-time departures.

MYT station news – Royd Xpress Nov 2018

1811 royd xpress station poster-2