National Campaign to save Exmouth's Rolle Centre
A national fundraising campaign to save the former Rolle Centre is to be launched in Exmouth.
Details about the ‘Waste of Space’ campaign are being kept under wraps until the launch event, at the Owen Building at the former Rolle College site in the town, at 11am on Tuesday April 5.
Owner Plymouth University wants to sell the site, on Douglas Avenue, and has applied for outline planning permission to build up to 120 homes.
The campaign will feature the premiere of Waste of Space, a short film staring three Devon-based actors and shot at the Owen Building, along with adverts and posters of local young people seeking educational opportunities in the town, all backed with extensive media and social media activity.
Rolle Exmouth Limited (REL), the community benefit society behind the campaign, hopes that people will be inspired to get behind community efforts to secure the former teacher training and Plymouth University education campus for the good of Exmouth and East Devon. The university has already pledged the Owen Building for community use.
Deborah Hallett, Chairman of REL, said: “Time is running out. If people want to save the site for Exmouth and East Devon, we need to rally support, show Plymouth University that people across East Devon and beyond are determined that this wonderful resource is used to provide much-needed educational, community and business opportunities.
“More will be revealed at the launch at the Owen Building but we hope that people will be inspired by the Waste of Space campaign and get involved, be that by pledging support, buying community shares, becoming a volunteer, or telling us how they think the site should be developed.”
People can secure a free ticket for the launch and premiere at http://bit.ly/RELExmouth and get involved on Twitter @RolleCentre #WasteofSpace and www.facebook.com/RolleCentreExmouth
A key focus for the fundraising is the refurbishment of the Owen Building, which REL has a licence from Plymouth University to use. The first events and groups to make use of some of the accessible parts of the building, including the main auditorium and lecture theatre, have been lined up. A business survey is also getting underway to feed into detailed plans for developing the facility as a key business and enterprise hub.
Details about the campaign, the short film and local actors involved, and REL’s plans for the Owen Building and the rest of the site, and how people can get involved, will be revealed at the launch.
The intention is for money raised through the community share issue to be used to buy and refurbish the Owen Building, partly by using the shares as matched funding to obtain grants. Money raised will also support the first two years of trading and the promotion of further fundraising to secure additional areas of the site and extensions to the Owen Building facilities.
REL, which has more than 700 shareholders already, is working to develop and secure the site for Exmouth and East Devon for a range of vocational education and training, economic regeneration and community uses alongside housing.
www.rollecentre.org for more information about REL and its plans.
