Soon Norwich could have innovative sharing hubs – places where people can get equipment they need for community activities or to maintain their home or garden for free or at low cost.
When established, Stuff Hubs could be the perfect solution for people organising a community clean-up and want some litter-pickers, have to cut the grass but don’t have anywhere to store a lawn-mower or are organising a family party and think a sound system is just what you need.
Now, Norwich City Council is putting a call-out for groups to get these Stuff Hubs up and running, with a £20,000 pot to invest as a one-off funding opportunity. Groups can bid for cash to develop a Stuff Hub.
We’re envisaging four Stuff Hubs at convenient points in the city. The equipment in these hubs would be owned by the organisation running the hub and available for communities to loan or hire to communities using a shared registry through our digital sharing platform, currently being developed, and offline.
To apply for a share of this funding, you will need to submit an expression of interest on how your organisation would set up and manage a Stuff Hub. These hubs could be delivered by four separate groups working informally as partners or one group using multiple locations.
The funding would be split between the hubs, if delivered separately, and not all the funding needs to be spent directly on equipment – staff time or a reserve fund for replacement/repair can all be included as part of the venture, up to 20 per cent of the funding awarded.
You don’t have to own the space you’d operate the hub from, you might be renting it or it could be somewhere where other activities take place – a space within an existing charity shop, a container in your car park or storage cupboards in a main room of a community building.
Councillor Chris Herries, cabinet member for safer, stronger neighbourhoods said:
“This is an exciting opportunity for groups to work together alongside us to create an invaluable resource in the community. We know people will have great ideas about how these can be run, so we’re looking for creative proposals.”
Anyone who is excited about this opportunity should get in touch. Send a brief expression of interest email to community@norwich.gov.uk outlining:
- who you are and what your organisation does
- location and type of space
- rough model (just a general outline) of how you’d deliver a hub.
We’ll get in touch to talk it through in more detail and arrange an expression of interest visit to your proposed site to discuss possible operating models. Emails expressing your interest should be received by Wednesday 28 February.
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