Corner House & Memorial Hall news

Sat 4 Apr, 09:38 (last edited on Sat 4 Apr, 09:46)

Perhaps I can add my ‘pennyworth’ here as there still seems to be some misunderstanding about the Deli & Café’s position.  True, it is not a charity.  But it was set up by Charlbury residents and has effectively been – as I’ve said often - community owned, community run since 1991. 

 The Corner House may be owned by the town – but it needs an income for obvious reasons.  Part of the logic of moving the Deli & Café into the Corner House was to bring it even more into the centre of the community, while providing some financial support to the charity - as eg in a National Trust property.  How much remains to be seen - that's currently dependent on turnover - but as John has said, the business is now more settled financially (including resolution of all outstanding debts and liabilities).  With a new and experienced director at the helm as well as support from others, and summer soon upon us, there is every reason to expect it now to thrive.  Whether or not it remains a limited company is a decision for the future.  The point is that every time you buy a coffee, a sandwich, a loaf of bread or whatever – you will be indirectly contributing to the future upkeep of the Corner House as well. 

Not for me to comment on the museum’s position – save that like the V & A,  an excellent cafe with a museum attached always seemed a great idea to me!

Fri 3 Apr, 19:35

 Re the charlbury museumI don't think from what I see from "the likes" on the Forum posts and from what I see as a museum steward that the Town and the tourists who love it when they visit it that will be delighted if it has to close but neither will they be pleased of the Corner House has to be sold . I should hate to be a trustee  of the latter: they have such a difficult job but if.  I was I would call in successful business men in charlbury to look at every room in the Corner House and memorial Hall to find out whether the income from each is as much as it could be whilst protecting the charities which are " special cases " 

Thu 2 Apr, 19:00

Thank you, S & S, for your comments. I'm posting in my personal capacity, but I'm confident that I speak for all the trustees in agreeing with you that the Museum is not in any sense a commercial tenant, but rather a partner charity whose narrower aims are very much part of our own broader remit. They do indeed already have security of tenure, but understandably want (and perhaps need) to have that made more explicit. How much they will pay us in future is something that I have no doubt we shall agree without difficulty, and is likely to bear some sensible relation to what our other charitable users (such as Cornerstone) have agreed with us .. and is intended to do no more than cover our costs, over time, in maintaining our premises.p

Thu 2 Apr, 13:22

I’m glad Sam has said what he has.  I can well understand the desire of the Corner House Trustees to obtain a fair contribution from the Museum towards the cost of maintaining the building, but I hope they will accept the financial constraints on what the Museum can pay, the fact that (contrary to the impression John’s post may give) it already has security of tenure and that (unlike the Deli) it is a charity and is furthering a charitable purpose - so is exactly the sort of organisation that the Corner House should be accommodating.

Wed 1 Apr, 23:48

The museum is a charity, not a commercial business (with significant turnover). It is quite typical for museums to be charged a peppercorn rent, anything significantly higher would mean they would couldn't exist.

We should not forget that the museum belongs to the people of Charlbury, as does the Corner House. 

Wed 1 Apr, 14:10

The planning application for the Corner House loos was deposited over my name as chairman of the trustees at that time. The intention was to make a minor alteration to the outside of the loos to provide easier access for those with mobility problems, and also to insert a larger cubical suitable for people with disabilities. The trustees applied to the Town Council for a grant towards the cost of this, and that was approved. However, trustees later decided not to pursue these improvements but instead to try to improve appearances.

Wed 1 Apr, 12:00 (last edited on Wed 1 Apr, 17:03)

It's your Corner House & Memorial Hall, of which a few of us are merely the trustees .. and so we're keen both to have it used in the way that you want and also to keep you fully informed in the process.  As part of that, we intend to…

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