Council commits to White House future
Services at the White House Community Centre in Hampton are protected for another 12 months, whilst the Council work with interested parties to secure the long-term future of this important community facility.
Unfortunately, due to the Pandemic, the YMCA are not currently in a position to commit to a 25-year-contract. However, they have agreed to manage the centre until the summer 2022 and are working closely with the Council and others to help ensure the delivery of a longer-term sustainable future for the White House.
This arrangement guarantees that services currently operating from the Centre e.g. The Foodbank and the Preschool Nursery can continue to do so, and some community activities can be welcomed back to the building.
The Council has also committed to continuing to fund the administrative costs at the centre during this time.
Cllr Michael Wilson, Lead Member for Equality, Communities and the Voluntary Sector for Richmond Council, said:
“Together with the YMCA and other local organisations, we have worked hard to ensure that the White House has been able to reopen and provide vital community services during the pandemic. I would like to thank YMCA for agreeing to continue managing the Centre over the next 12 months and work with the Council to explore future management arrangements.
“We know how much the White House is valued by the communities it serves in the local and surrounding areas, and by the Council. We want to ensure that the Centre continues to play such an important role, but also ensure it is able to adapt and provide modern, relevant services for the next 25 years and beyond.”
Richard James, CEO of YMCA St Paul’s Group, said:
“Unfortunately, due to the impact of COVID-19 on the Charity, the YMCA St Paul’s Group has decided not to commit to a 25-year-contract to manage The White House in Hampton at this stage. However, we understand how vital the centre is to the local community, so we are working closely with Richmond Council to continue to manage the centre until summer 2022 to ensure continuation of its services, including the Preschool Nursery and the Hampton Foodbank.
“We would like to thank all of the staff who have worked tirelessly during the pandemic to ensure we could continue to deliver vital services and we will now work closely with the council to protect the future of the centre.”
