About The Trust
Linskill and North Tyneside Community Development Trust was set up in 2003 as a not for profit company limited by guarantee (04827255) and has since become a registered charity (1119143).
The Trust was formed to develop and manage the Linskill Centre with the aim of turning it into a successful, self-sustaining centre, providing the community with somewhere they can come to learn, relax and engage in activities.
The Trust completed a community asset transfer of the centre in April 2006, agreeing a 30 year peppercorn lease with North Tyneside Council.
Gradually over time, the Trust has invested in the Linskill Centre, securing capital grants and fundraising to improve the facilities at the centre. Also, by securing a five year revenue grant from the Big Lottery Fund, the Trust was able to fund key staffing posts to help develop the activities and service provided by the centre.
The Linskill Centre today is now a thriving community centre with 82,000 visits from the North Tynside community per year. The Centre has:
- 23 permanent tenants hiring space within the centre
- 35 casual user groups offer activities and classes on a weekly basis
- A community cafe open six days a week and providing affordable and healthy food
- Linskill Nursery - offering affordable and flexible full day childcare
- An events department providing large scale community events in the arts and culture
- A community garden project providing space for volunteers to grow vegetables and fruit for our cafe
The Trust is nearing 100% financial sustainability by maximising the income generation techniques above and this will allow the organisation to become less grant funded reliant and more financially secure for future generations to benefit from the centre.