graham anderson says

I was told that this self-appointed group want to raise letting prices by 30% and only allow lets to teams who are members of the community club. This is a public facility open to all and this group want to PRIVATISE it.

What consuttion has been done with the local community, why should this mob be allowed to take it over? Who are the Beith Community Development Trust who voted for them to be taking over community facilities.What track record do they have in running anything, what happens to the caretakers who work there will they be tupe transferred to this private company?

KA Leisure currently manage it why cant they continue to run it? That way way its professionaly managed but still open to the public. If that cant happen then other groups should have been given the chance to bid, why not the community association they at least have a track record and open elections for the membership to appoint a chairman etc 

beith football says

Hi Graham,   Thanks for this, we will do our best to answer your questions

The board of the Development Trust was voted for by the teams, clubs, groups, children, parents and supporters involved in Beith Juniors Community FC, Beith Amateurs and Beith Juniors, the Development Trust was formed to tackle the issue of facilities in Beith which were poorly maintained, derelict and unfit for purpose.

Bringing  facilities under community management is not the same as privatisation, no individual, group or club will profit from any income generated at the facilities, income generation will be used to maintain and develop facilties and subsidise community pitch hire, in addition any excess profit will be available for groups and clubs in Beith, not just with a sports focus, the aims of the Development Trust are around health and wellbeing

A feasibility study and consultation was conducted late 2009 involving groups, clubs, families and decision makers, this is a public document and is available to anyone, along with the Development Trust Mem & Arts, Business Plan and Development Plan,  they include a bio on each director, their business background and track records in business development, if anyone wants to see them just drop us an email or pop down to the grounds and chat on with the folk down there. 

Years of KA Leisure management have left Beith with facilities that havent been invested in, poorly maintained and as such are not fit for use, Beith groups, teams and clubs have struggled for years to maintain their activities which give over 250 kids a year a chance to enjoy sport and physical activity locally.  For the past 8 years almost all that activity has taken place outside of Beith adding to family expense and depriving Beith of local investment

I hope this goes some way to answering your questions but if you want to know more please email us at beithfootball@hotmail.com or find us at facebook at BeithCommunityFC.  We genuinely welcome ideas, energy and enthusiasm and any help  or guidance anyone can offer because there is plenty to do !!!   We all want Beith to a great place to grow up and live and will continue to work to that end

graham anderson says

Thak you for the reply. Where can I see this feasibility study and consultation document. Who was consulted, because not many people seem to be aware of the plans to take over the pitches.

Also what about your plan to increase the pitch hire prices were people consulted on that. And that you plan to only allow Beith community club members to use the pitches. You talk about dirstors bios, will we the public be able to vote them out if the increase prices and make it a wee private club for their mates.

This is a public asset and we need to think long and hard before allowing a clique to take it over for rheir own ends

beith football says

The consultation about community ownership and the feasibility was done in 2009, its taken all this time to get everything in order and negotiate with NAC re the renovations etc.  If you drop us a line at beithfootball@hotmail,com we will mail you over the reports and constitution etc

The pitch hire is unlikely to be anymore than 10% above current rates, and if anyone can demonstate to us how we can make it viable at lower rates we would love to meet to them, 

Our aim is to safeguard facilties for Beith kids, theres no point charging rates that mean the facilites cant be maintained or upgraded when necessary, so there is no question of the facility being closed to anyone other than the community club, the facility will operate just as it did before. 

All Community Development Trusts are answerable to their members, and membership is open to anyone with a KA15 postcode, at the AGM anyone can put themselves up for board membership, 

Re clique, more and more local authorities are handing over the management of leisure facilites to facilities management companies such as Amey, this has already happened in renfrewshire, resulting in communities having no influence over what happens and pitch price increases of 250%.  Football teams, clubs and groups in Beith were determined to secure affordable accessible local facilites and it was with this aim the Development Trust was formed

Hope that helps, drop us an email for more details or pop down to the pitches for a chat and a look round

graham anderson says

Why can't ou put your feasibility and consultation document online so that everyone can read it?

How many people were consulted?

How many members does the trust have?

When was the AGM and are the minutes made public?

The astro turf was run by KA leisure and if you had a complaint you could take it to their board and if there was still no satisfaction take it up with the council, willthe council still be able to hold the trust to account if they are not running it properly?

What consultation was done on the price increases?

How many staff will be employed to manage the facility?

I would rather these facts were made public so more people are aware of these plans rather than just telling me.