A New Yellow Qube

Posted on by stmartinsresidentslambeth

Lambeth Council have given the current, highly ineffective, owner of the Yellow Qube notice to quit. They will consult on a new provider in April 2024. We hope this will lead to improved youth services

Residents present: 

  • Stephen Kearney (chair)
  • Chris Blake (minutes) – StMartinsResidentsLambeth@gmail.com
  • Cllr Saleha Jaffer – sjaffer@lambeth.gov.uk
  • Sophie Wintrich (photos)
  • 14 other residents

Non residents observers: 

  • Cllr M Hashi – Cabinet member for safer communities – mhashi@lambeth.gov.uk
  • Marguerita Alexander and Donna Oates  from St Martins Community Centre
  • Jillian Jones and Tanya Acqaah from Fresh Visions Charity

Apologies:

  • Cllr Olga Fitzroy

Introduction from the Residents Association

Terry Curtis opened the meeting.  He said when then council agreed to build City Heights eAct Academy it promised the community to build a youth centre, now known as the Yellow Qube.  The council handed over the Yellow Qube to people who didn’t know how to run a youth centre and it closed due to lack of interest. 

Retendering the Yellow Qube contract

Cllr Hashi outlined the procedure to retender the contract to run the Yellow Qube

The Yellow Qube is currently run by a Community Interest Company.  They received three months notice to quit on 4th March.  Previously the Community Interest Company have not responded to council communications (they didn’t respond to the communication the council sent in September 2023) so hopefully the council will have the buildings back by early June.  If the Community Interest Company contest it may take longer

The council plans to retender the contract to run the Yellow Qube as soon as they have control of the building.  They will organise an event on 15th April on the St Martins Estate to discuss with residents what they want from the new provider.

The council has already decided that

  • The tenderer must be a charity or community organisation
  • The lease must be easy to terminate
  • The tenderer must allow other organisations to rent space on an hourly basis. Everything else is up for negotiation.  If, for example, residents feel youth football is important they must raise that during the consultation.

The tender documents will be issued on 29th April.  Cllr Hashi will ensure the Residents Association receives tender documents so that residents can recommend local providers (for example, Sasha’s company I Am In Me is interested).  The Residents Association can also see a copy of the proposed lease.

The applications will be shortlisted in May or June.

Cllr Hashi will consider having a monitoring committee for the new organisation with resident members.  He will consult further.  No dates for a resolution.

£200,000

Terry Curtis said when the council agreed to build City Heights eAct Academy it promised the community centre a sum of £200,000. There is £200,000 in the bank account of the Yellow Qube. The community centre believes this is the promised money.

Cllr Hashi is not certain if this is true. He is taking legal advice.

The tenderers for the Yellow Qube will be asked to apply on the basis that they will fund their own bid, not rely on the £200,000.

Resident comments

Pedro said the local young people hang out on our estate because they have nowhere to go.  They need decent youth facilities.

Selina runs a youth football team and rents out the football pitch that is part of the Yellow Qube. She books through Vivify.  The rent is extortionate.  Cllr Hashi asked Selina to email him with full details.  He said Vivify was the company that dealt solely with the hiring, the Yellow Qube CIC were the legal tenant of the Yellow Qube so eviction documents needed to be served on them.

Sasha said her organisation I Am I Me has just been funded by Walcott Foundation to have safe space for young people to engage.  

Craig asked if there was anything that could be done now.  The Yellow Qube has been open until 10pm some nights but residents don’t have affordable access to it.  Cllr Hashi said it was important to go through the legal process to evict the existing CIC.

Stacy asked if there is a legal process taking place why can people still use the Yellow Qube.    Cllr Hashi said just like you can still live in your house after you’ve been served notice of eviction so the CIC can rent out the property after they have received notice of eviction.  It’s only when the notice expires that they can be evicted.

Cllr Saleha said lots of residents approached her about this issue.  She thanked Cllr Hashi for his work to get the issue resolved.

Any Other Business

The local police are running a consultation meeting on Thursday 28th March at 7:30pm in the Scout Hut. Please come if you have any concerns or comments

ENDS

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