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 -, David Bryant (Treasurer) 2015 –, Brian Dixon 2009 -, Chris Jewell 1995 -, Heather Smith 2012 -, Julie Gray 2015 –, Jackie Thorpe 2019 -.

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.

ASSISTANT Administrator

 

Louise joined the Neetside Community Centre in 2017 as assistant administrator. Already familiar with the building, she’d worked in Bude and at Neetside with St Loye’s for several years. 

 
With a background in customer service roles and hospitality, Louise enjoys looking after people a good quality for working at Neetside. She likes the challenge of being able to find the answer even if it is not readily available and will endeavour to do everything she can to solve a problem. In her spare time, she is a volunteer with North Dartmoor Search & Rescue (based in Okehampton). She also enjoys outdoor activities including walking the South West Coast Path with her dogs and swimming in Bude sea pool.
 
Interesting Fact – Louise can sing some things in Welsh. We’ll leave you to ask what?

Administrator

 
Neetside Administrator, Cathy moved to Cornwall about 15 years ago to be near her sisters who both lived near Bude. After working at a holiday park, MacMillan Cancer Support and Bude Golf Club she joined Neetside in 2014 and is the font of all things financial and keeping the Centre running smoothly.
 
Cathy provides a warm welcome to those waiting in Reception and believes in going above and beyond if someone needs help. She also runs the charity knitting group at the Centre where over 400 items have been made by volunteers and given to a wide range of charities, support groups and individuals. When not at work Cathy loves being with her family & friends, making anything crafty and being outside, walking, gardening (growing her own veg) or just sitting reading enjoying the sun.
 
Interesting Fact – Cathy has driven a double-decker bus and her motto is always to be kind.

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

Cathy Bowley – Administrator

Louise Pearce – Assistant Administrator

David Mitchell – Caretaker