Hi Umbrella Supporter,

Re: Supporting the Umbrella to continue at the Pavilion.
 
Background
 
Our continued use of the Umbrella Pavilion is gravely under threat and we need your support for us to continue to do our valuable community and environmental work there.
 
The background is that the Umbrella have been in the pavilion for over 10 years. We had a temporary lease which ran out in 2015 and since then there have been numerous meetings and discussions between the local authority and ourselves about our continued stay in the building. 
 
During the time we have been in the building we have refurbished what was a complete eye sore and mess into a usable and functioning community resource. We have done this in line with our values and ethics by re-using materials destined for land fill and using local volunteers to do most of the work. Almost all of this work and the services we have provided have been without any financial support from the local authority. Indeed we are proud of our record of becoming entirely financially self-sufficient for the past 4 years.
 
Our relationship with the local authority had always been very good. They have done a number of collaborations and joint events with us and always been very positive of our work. That seems to have changed since 28th September 2023, when we carried out the first 1000 Voices toxic air protest. Since then a number of different departments of the council have visited us regarding ‘issues’ they have with what we are doing, including a visit from a member of the Assets (Buildings) team who informed us to cease all use of most of the parts of the building which we use for our community work, including the garden.
 
In March of this year a lead officer of the assets team met with us to ‘regularise’ the lease. Following that meeting we have heard nothing despite contacting them with a number of emails, phone calls and texts, we have had complete radio silence. We only heard that our continued use of the Umbrella Pavilion was under threat by a friendly third party, who informed us that the building had been added to a list of buildings available to any voluntary sector group working in Northamptonshire. We have never been informed by WNC that they had done this.  
 
How you can support us - write to the Council
 
WNC have created a process for who will take on the lease of the building, which started with interested organisation's submitting an application to take on the lease and carry out community work at the premises. We have completed the application to carry on our occupation of the building and continue our valuable community and environmental work in the communities and neighbourhoods where most of us live. 
 
As part of that process we hope our local community will show it's support of our continued use of the Umbrella Pavilion by writing to WNC and telling them that there is support for our application. Many of you have approached us already and asked us to draft a letter, so this is what we have done.
 
So, we have three options for you; 
    1. Write your own letter - example link 
    2. Copy and paste the template letter we’ve written - link here
    3. Use the template letter and add your own personal statement, make it personal to you

Or email lauren.humber@westnorthants.gov.uk
   
Where to send the letter and stay in touch.
 
1) We would prefer it if you posted, your letter to the council. Yes, old school snail mail if you can afford it, its more likely to be registered and read.
 
Send to:
 
Lauren Humber
Property Strategy Manager
West Northamptonshire Council
One Angel Square
Angel Street
Northampton
NN1 1ED
 
2) Text me (Batesy 07739657058) to say you’ve sent a letter, so that we can keep a tally on the number of letters the council have received.
3) If you would like to join a Whatsapp group specifically set up for keeping everyone updated about progress please text your mobile number to Batesy 07739 657058, include your name.
4) If you would like to include us in your correspondence with the council please use this email to copy us in: pavilion@umbrellafair.org.uk
 
And Finally
We want to thank you massively for supporting our work and our application to stay at the pavilion and continue to do what we do. What we do is important and the way we do it is quite unique. We feel there should be more organisations and places like ours not less.
 
Blessings
 
Batesy
07739657058