Imminent sale of abandoned and derelict former Quinta Youth Club has added urgency to fund raising for new community hub in Mays Lane  

With a rapidly approaching deadline of mid-October, a fund-raising campaign has taken on new urgency as Mays Lane residents prepare their community bid to take over the derelict former Quinta Youth Club.

Their target is to raise £10,00 in small donations to demonstrate to Barnet Council and potential charity donors the strength of local support for a new community hub.

At the latest count just over 80 people have donated nearly £2,500 towards the £10,000 target.

“What Barnet Council and our charity supporters need to see is evidence that we have real community backing with local people prepared to make a contribution,” said Gina Theodorou (see above), who is chair of the Quinta Village Green Residents Association.

Quinta Youth Club, which was originally constructed by the Underhill community, and which has been derelict for the last 20 years, is to be sold by Barnet Council for £300,000.

Two charities – Hadley Trust and Common Nature – have told the residents’ association that financial assistance might well be available towards the purchase and reconstruction of the youth club if the local community unites around the plan and succeeds with its bid.

Barnet Council has been forced to wait until 17 October before selling the property after a successful application for the building to be nominated as an asset of community value gave the community six months to prepare their application.

“We are not the only bidder and there is fierce competition, but we are the community which the building was originally created to serve,” said Ms Theodorou.

“We walk past it every day, and we believe the people who live here should be the ones who decide what happens at Quinta.

“The number of people who give towards our fundraiser – https://gofund.me/70e0fe9c2 matters more than the total.

“Even £5 or £10 from someone locally adds another person to the evidence that the residents want to see the building brought back into use.”

Quinta Village Green, now established as a community interest company, has commissioned feasibility work on developing a single-storey community hub with the option of first floor accommodation.

A community survey  https://forms.gle/Ynmib6DYGKxCTcoD7 is underway to reveal local needs and has already had around130 responses.

Ms Theodorou says they would welcome more responses from local young people, and they hope to run a focus group with students at Totteridge Academy to get their ideas.

“We want Quinta to help address the lack of youth provision in the north of the borough identified in Barnet’s own youth strategy work while still remaining a multi-generational hub.”

Possible options include a café looking out on to Quinta Village Green (registered as a public open space), rooms for local charities and organisations, and space for activities for teenagers.

Architectural options are being developed by architect Simon Kaufman and chartered surveyors Graham + Sibbald are carrying out cost assessment.

Much of the professional consultancy work has been funded by the Hadley Trust which has written to the council confirming serious interest in supporting the purchase of the former clubhouse.

Ms Theodorou says the trust’s support has made an enormous difference.

In a statement, the founders of the trust, Sir Philip and Lady Hulme, say the proposed Quinta community hub is one of the more promising local projects they have seen.

“It is locally led and we have been greatly impressed by their professionalism, enthusiasm and commitment.

“We have funded the professional feasibility work and, subject to a satisfactory outcome and our normal due diligence, we expect to go on supporting the acquisition and development of the building.

“Projects like this are strongest when funders and the local community come together, and we would encourage others to join us.”

A second charity, Common Nature, has also written to the council confirming possible support through a community land purchase facility, co-invested with the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation.

To promote the plans for the Quinta community hub a “vision and stakeholder” night is to be held on Wednesday 30 September at 7pm at the clubhouse of the East Barnet Old Grammarians. The aim is to build up support before the bid goes to Barnet Council.