The Dunholme Old School Centre was taken over as a community centre in 1984 when it ceased to be a school for the village.  It was then managed by a constituted voluntary organisation and a member of CommunityLincs. In 1997 the Trustees of the Lincoln Diocesan Board of Trusts realised that there was a ”Reverter of School Sites Act” where by if the property was no longer used for its original purpose it should be disposed of and the money returned to the Trust or given back to the descendants of the donor. So, in 1997 we applied to the National Lottery Charities Board. We asked for a sum of £250,000 so as to not only purchase the property but to extend to the rear to make additional rooms for social activities. This was rejected but on reapplying for the purchase price only, was successful.

 

In 2000 the property was then purchased by the management committee who became the Trustees of the property whose responsibility was to maintain the property for the benefit of the village of Dunholme according to the Trustees Act of 1909 and 1925. As the committee at that time was not an incorporated organisation the conveyance and Land Registry was in the name of the Chairman and Treasurer as named Trustees. The funding given by the National Lottery Funding Board (now the Big Lottery Fund) came with legally binding conditions. The main condition was that the funds were “Restricted Funds”. They had to be recorded in all accounts as such signifying that they must only be used for the purpose for which our application applied for i.e. as our constitution specifies. The constitution specifies our “Purpose” as being wholly charitable for the benefit of the parish of Dunholme and surrounding area.

 

The Diocesan Office also put a covenant on the sale dictating that the property must only be used as a village hall a community centre or one private dwelling.

 

Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Charity number 1160106)

It was considered unsatisfactory to have the names of the Chairman and Treasurer as named Trustees as these could change at any time it was decided to create a governance that was able to hold property in its own right.  So, as from 22 January 2015 our governance chabge to that of a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Charity number 1160106). This organisation is now called The Dunholme Trust but the Dunholme Old School Community Centre is still our working name. There are currently four named Trustees but we will seek to expand that as time goes by. The Old School Building was then conveyed to the Trust from the individual trustees.

 

 Our Charitable objects are:

 

The objects of the CIO are to further or benefit the residents of Dunholme, Lincolnshire and the neighbourhood, without distinction of sex, sexual orientation, race or of political, religious or other opinions by associating together the said residents and the local authorities, voluntary and other organisations in a common effort to advance education and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure time occupation with the objective of improving the conditions of life for the residents.

In furtherance of these objects but not otherwise, the trustees shall have power to establish or secure the establishment of a Community Centre and to maintain or manage or co-operate with any statutory authority in the maintenance and management of such a centre for activities promoted by the charity in furtherance of the above objects.

 The property is listed as a “Community Centre”. A community centre is described officially as “Space provided by a charity to facilitate community services and activities”. The charity Trustees make the decisions a on any development but must meet the requirements of the objects above. We would be in “Breach of Trust” if we acted outside the terms of our governing document.

 

Classification 

What we do
• general charitable purposes
• education / training
• economic / community development / employment
• recreation
 
who do we do it for
• children / young people
• elderly / old people
• people with disabilities
• other charities or voluntary bodies

how do we do it
• provides buildings / facilities / open space
• provides services