Community Asset Transfers often work best when they respond directly to the needs of the community organisation taking on the asset, their local community and the local authority.
To do this, it’s important to work out what your organisation is hoping to achieve, why it’s needed and when you’d like to achieve it. This will be your vision.
Start by outlining why you are considering an asset transfer and develop your plans from there. Your reasons may include:
- wanting to a secure home where you can grow and develop your offer
- the facility you currently use is threatened with closure or re-development
- the facility you use needs funding to improve it
- a local facility is derelict or underused and there’s a desire to bring it back into community use.
It is also useful to understand why the local authority is considering an asset transfer, which could include:
- budget cuts mean they’re unable to maintain the facility appropriately.
- they believe that a community organisation is better placed to run the asset.
- they want to work with an organisation to gain investment into a facility.
- the asset may be under threat of closure, and a strong community case is needed to secure its future.
A successful asset transfer will be based on a clear vision for how the facility will be protected or improved for the benefit of the local community.