S O S for St Mary in the Castle

KEEP ST MARY IN THE CASTLE OPEN! The Council have until 20th Feb to extend the present lease with Barbara Rogers, who has singelehandedly brought the building back to life. With a lease that runs out in July she can’t risk taking any future bookings, and is having to turn groups away.

She’s done a fantastic job that benefits all of us, but so far only has a short lease as HBC are hoping that Hastings Trust’s Myplace youth project will take over the building. Meanwhile the Myplace funding bid is stalled, and the danger is that Barbara will be put out of business and SMIC may be closed, possibly for years to come.

This is a real emergency, with HBC gambling the building’s future on the result of the funding bid: if you don’t want the building to close at the end of July, please bombard Council Leader Peter Pragnell with emails, phone calls and letters to urge him to extend the present lease pending the outcome of the youth centre bid.

cllr.peter.pragnell@hastings.gov.uk

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