The future of the Institute needed to be reviewed after Lancashire County Council relinquished the User Rights, following the decision to re-open the library service and to relocate it in Lytham Assembly Rooms.  At a special meeting of the Full Council on Monday 9th March 2020, the Council, in its capacity as the sole corporate trustee, agreed the next steps regarding Lytham Institute Trust.

After seeking advice and support from the Charity Commission the Council recognised the need to update the aims of the Trust and develop a scheme of governance.  At the meeting on March 9th 2020, the revised aims for the Trust, drafted on the Charity Commission’s model purpose for community centres, were approved for consultation:

“To further or benefit the residents of Lytham and the neighbourhood, without distinction of sex, sexual orientation, race or of political, religious or other opinions by providing facilities in the interests of social welfare for learning, recreation and leisure time occupation, including cultural and art exhibitions, with the objective of improving the conditions of life for the residents.

In furtherance of these objects but not otherwise, the trustees shall have power to maintain or manage or co-operate with any statutory authority in the maintenance and management of the Lytham Institute building or other appropriate premises for activities promoted by the charity in furtherance of the above objects.”

To ensure proper and appropriate consultation with all stakeholders, the Trust is following Charity Commission advice to obtain the views of anyone who has an interest in the revised purposes.  The consultation was around 10 days away from closing when it was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, however at the Finance & Democracy meeting on January 25th 2021 it was agreed that when the pandemic measures start to ease the consultation will re-open to allow anyone that had not responded during the time the consultation was open to do so.

The consultation on the proposed objects for the Trust will re-open on Wednesday June 2nd 2021 for a period of 28 days, ending on June 30th 2021 and can be found on the Council’s website www.fylde.gov.uk/consultation

Leader of the Council, Cllr Karen Buckley, said:

“Lytham Institute’s future is still to be determined and the decisions will be informed by local people.  This consultation is about the purposes of the charity rather than the use of the building and needs to be settled before we can move forward.

“Anyone who submitted a response before the consultation was suspended last year can be assured that these have been retained, however, if an organisation or individual wishes to make further comment there is no restriction on how many submissions can be made.”

Click here to visit the Lytham Institute consultation survey


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