About Us

Neetside Community Centre runs thanks to a small team of dedicated staff, trustees and volunteers. We provide welcoming, furnished rooms which can be hired for meetings, training, counselling, therapy, seminars and community group meetings and social events. Any member of our team would be delighted to meet you to discuss your requirements.

North Cornwall is a rugged place with tremendous natural beauty and a distinct character, the geographical nature of which can often mean it is remote and isolated. In turn this has lead to an active and vibrant community and sparked a wealth of community, voluntary and charitable groups in the area all supporting and working with the local community. As well, many agencies have set up ‘outposts’ here in Bude, often at Neetside community centre.

Neetside fulfils a big role in local life by facilitating vital counselling, advice forums and self help groups as well as voluntary groups and statutory agencies.

Neetside Community Centre is owned and managed by Bude-Stratton Community Project, a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), for the benefit, wellbeing, education and enrichment of the local community and its environs around North Cornwall.

The Trustees of the Bude-Stratton Community Project (BSCP) meet on a regular basis to discuss the operating of the building and long-term plans. The current Strategic Plan can be downloaded from our ‘Official Documents’ section below.

Our Trustees are:
Hilary Workman (Chair) 2006 – , Clare Hicks (Minutes Secretary) 1994 -, Jan Hunt (Vice Chair) 1994 -, Brian Dixon 2009 -, Chris Jewell 1995 -, Heather Smith 2012 -, Julie Gray 2015 –, Jackie Thorpe 2019 -, Glyn Collen 2021 -, Mary Greener 2022 -, Rachel Martin 2022-.

Neetside Manager

Neetside Manager, Miranda “she knows her sausages” Clarke, joined the team at Neetside Community Centre in June 2017. She loves a good spreadsheet, making lists, thinking strategically, listening to great ideas and helping to make them happen.

She’s worked in community development, the arts, higher education and the public sector, all with one thing in common –  seeing people learn, develop and grow. When she’s not at Neetside she can be found feeding pigs and running a campsite at her smallholding, aided by her young daughter, husband and a band of incredibly useful volunteers and friends. 

Interesting Fact – Her dog is named after her favourite cowboy – Big Jake.

FINANCE and OFFICE Administrator

Welcome to our new member of staff Debby Thorpe who joined us in February 2023.

Debby  has lived in Bude since she was 10 and can’t imagine a better place to live.

With a background in finance and administration Debby has worked in a local bank for many years and is revelling in the busy atmosphere at Neetside. She enjoys spending time with her family and all their much loved dogs.

Debby currently works afternoons on Monday and Tuesday and all day on Wednesday and Friday.

Fun fact to follow!

 

 

Marketing and Promotions  Administrator

Amanda joined us on the 4th of June 2022 in her role as  marketing and promotional administrator. 

She has a strong administrative background having worked at Budehaven school for many years and is involved in community groups such as Friends of the Earth Bude and has some understanding of the landscape for young people in our area.

Amanda has lived in Bude for over 20 years. Her interests include gardening and dog walking on the   beaches and local footpaths.

She has a passionate interest in the planet and climate change (she volunteered for the Refill shop for the first 9 months) and takes a special delight in the abundant wildflowers in the Community Orchard.

Interesting Fact – Amanda is currently learning to scythe and so spends her time practicing on her lawn!

Our Trustees

Hilary Workman  (Chair) 2006 –
Clare Hicks  (Minutes Secretary) 1994 –
Jan Hunt  (Vice Chair) 1994 –
Glyn Collen  2021 –
Brian Dixon  2009 –
Jackie Thorpe  2019 –
Heather Smith  2012 –
Julie Gray  2015 –
Tony Harper  2016 –
Chris Jewell  1995 –
Mary Greener 2022 –
Rachel Martin 2022 –

 

Current Vacancies

We’re recruiting for two roles to help us establish Berries community Café, a Marketing and Promotions and a Monitoring and Evaluation          Consultant. For further information please follow the link.

History of Neetside

The building opened for worship on September 25th 1879, just nine months before its near neighbour, the Wesleyan Chapel.  By 1900 the United Methodist Free Church began to realise their folly of having two chapels side by side and made the bold decision to sell theirs and build again in the Flexbury area which was then being developed.  This was accomplished by April 1905. Plans to sell their old chapel to the Wesleyans for use as a Sunday School fell through and eventually it was leased to the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry and became known as the Drill Hall.

In April 1995, charitable status was confirmed for Bude-Stratton Community Project and the Trustees then purchased the Drill Hall and appointed Bude based architect, Mr Richard Welby, to reconfigure the building into a community Centre. Special emphasis was given to making the entire building accessible for the disabled and as energy efficient as possible. The building was opened by HRH The Princess Royal on 5th June 1996.

In 2017 a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), Charity No. 1172752, was established to take over the management of the Community Centre to enable the Trustees to continue delivering this valuable community service.  Over the years the evolution of the Bude-Stratton Community Project, known locally as Neetside Community Centre, has grown from its humble roots to the thriving centre of excellence it is today.

Does your group, charity or organisation need a home?

Please call us on 01288 353403 for more information.

Miranda Clarke – Manager

Debby Thorpe – Finance and Office Administrator

Amanda Baker – Marketing and Promotions Administrator

Vika Bundy – Berries Community Café & Events Coordinator

Jodie Harper – Berries Community Café Volunteer Coordinator

David Mitchell – Caretaker