Community Assets Treasure Hunt
In January 2008 The Digbeth Trust is launching a Treasure Hunt to identify underused or unused assets and facilities across the West Midlands. The aim of the hunt is to help communities and public authorities to identify new ways of using buildings and other community resources in more efficient and effective ways. Click here to download a copy of our flyer.
Why is The Digbeth Trust Doing This Now?
The government wants to encourage communities to take over the management and/or ownership of publicly owned buildings and other assets where they could be better run by the voluntary sector. The government's report 'Opening The Transfer Window' sets out a range of things the government wants to see happen to encourage and enable voluntary and community groups to take on such assets. One of the government's aims is to raise awareness of asset transfer amongst voluntary and community groups. The Treasure Hunt is part of The Digbeth Trust's contribution to this awareness raising.
For 21 years The Digbeth Trust has been supporting voluntary and community groups on buildings and land use issues. This makes us ideally placed to support groups and communities to take advantage of this new government policy.
Why A Treasure Hunt?
Local communities are often best placed to know what buildings, facilities and resources exist within their area - and it is often local people who know best whether those facilities are being used in the best interests of their community. So we are looking for local people and groups to nominate those underused facilities - those Hidden Treasures - so that we can build up a register of assets and ideas.
What Sort of Treasure Are We Looking For?
Anything owned by a public authority (like the council, the NHS, or a government department) that could be better run by a voluntary organisation. It could be an underused building (like a community centre or estate shop), or a piece of land (like an old, rundown playground or set of allotments), or an historic building, or a fleet of coaches, or an old commercial building, or even flats and houses.
What If I'm Not Sure If It's Owned by a Public Authority?
If you're not sure whether the Hidden Treasure is owned by a public authority or a private individual or company, then ask around. It's amazing what local people know about the history of buildings and land. If you are still not sure, then nominate it anyway.
What Will Happen When I Nominate A Hidden Treasure?
We will send you a pack telling you what steps you can take locally to pursue your ideas for how the Treasure could be better used. We will give you information about who to contact in your local authority, what rights you have to require the owner of the asset to look at different ways of using it and what help you can get from organisations specialising in asset transfer.
Can I Nominate a Treasure Even If I am Not Interested in Owning or Managing It?
Yes. Anyone can nominate a Hidden Treasure whether or not they are from a voluntary and community group that is interested in taking responsibility for running it. But we do ask everyone nominating a Treasure to tell us why they think it could be better run or managed by a voluntary or community group.
What Happens to the Register of Hidden Treasures that The Digbeth Trust is Compiling?
The register we compile of all nominated assets will have a variety of different uses. We will share it with government and other statutory authorities so they can see how many hidden or underused assets there are in the West Midlands. We will use it to work with our partners to see what kind of support groups and communities will need to put their ideas for the Treasures into practice. We will also use it to advocate for sufficient resources to make the transfer assets a realistic and sustainable proposition for groups across the West Midlands.
How can I Find Out More?
The Trust will be launching the Treasure Hunt in January 2008. Check back here then to find out how you can take part or contact James Fitzpatrick at the Trust on 0121 753 0706 or email jamesfitzpatrick@digbethtrust.org.uk