Short History
Ideas of a community resource and information space began forming some 4 or 5 years ago. Music was a heavy influence in early ideas because of the balance of people involved and the skills possessed. Providing space for youth development and teaching, including computer access and community space, was also important. The dream at the time was the old station building, before it was renovated for its current use as offices.
These ideas fell by the wayside when nobody committed themselves to making it happen.
When the old lawnmower shop in Station Yard recently became empty, it spurred various thoughts about how that space could be utilised to improve the services available to people in Needham. It seemed like a great space for an ICT access point, cafe space and upstairs, film showings and meeting space. The community development officer at MSDC and the owner of the shop were consulted. The rent and rates were high, and after conducting some market research and looking at research by Suffolk college, enthusiasm for these premises wained.
However, these ideas were still fresh when the Market Town Health Check was published, and the need for a community resource centre, with a focus on youth involvement, was identified as a priority. This identification of need provided the justification of the idea, which brings us to the current situation.