Dug Out Update November 2024

Last month we informed the community that we were instructing an estate agent to market the Dug Out for sale. The Dug Out is a building owned by Wellspring Settlement which has been used by various tenants for many years, most recently by Barton Hill Amateur Boxing Club. The Dug Out has unfortunately become a financial liability Wellspring Settlement can no longer afford to maintain. It is an old building which would take considerable time and investment to bring up to a good condition. The current financial climate is challenging for charities and Wellspring Settlement is no different.

Government funding for youth work has reduced 77% over the last 15 years. This has had a significant impact on organisations who want to work with young people and support them to aspire to a better future. Our Swannery Youth Club transformation has been funded through government capital funding but unfortunately there is no indication from the new budget that there will be further investment in capital youth projects. In addition, revenue funding to continue to deliver activities and services needs to be raised on an annual basis to keep buildings going. In light of the 77% cut, many projects and organisations have had to cut back.

The marketing of the Dug Out has now gone live and the site is offered for sale by Informal Tender with a guide price of £650,000. We are keen to receive bids through the process that would ensure the land benefits the local community in the future. We understand there has been a nomination for the building to be registered as an Asset of Community Value. If successful, this would allow the community time to put together a bid to purchase the site.

The current occupiers of the Dug Out, Barton Hill Amateur Boxing Club, are a volunteer led boxing club that started out in 2007, working with young people in the Barton Hill area to encourage them to participate in sports and to teach them discipline and respect. The club has gone on to produce a number of successful boxers, including people who have competed in national championships. Wellspring Settlement is working closely with the boxing club to find them a new permanent home. They are really keen to stay in the Barton Hill area where their roots are but unfortunately have limited funds. We would like to ask any local businesses and landowners who might know of an appropriate home, or could support the boxing club with their predicament to get in touch by emailing info@wsb.org.uk

Barton Hill Amateur Boxing Club said: “We’re really keen to find a new home for the Boxing Club. We need somewhere that we can have our Boxing ring set up permanently”.

Wellspring Settlement continues to be committed to the community of Barton Hill and maintaining our other assets – our Settlement Site at Ducie Road; Wellspring Site at Beam Street; and our community garden allotment at Strawberry Lane. The sale of the Dug Out is necessary to secure the future of the organisation and these other assets for the community in the long term. The sale of the Dug Out provides an opportunity to put our finances on a more secure footing and represents a crucial step towards securing the sustainability of our future work.

We remain committed to being transparent as we move forward with this process and are optimistic about securing a future for both the charity and the boxing club, where we can both continue to deliver positive outcomes for the local community.

For further information, please contact info@wsb.org.uk