I KNOW residents in Knaphill and across Woking will have shared my anxiety, since Woking announced a Section 114 notice in June 2023, about which services might be impacted by the council’s non-statutory funding cuts. 

As portfolio holder, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the difficult issues of how we find a new solution for our community assets, so it’s wonderful to be able to finally share good news with Knaphill residents about the secure new future for The Vyne Community Centre.

I’m excited that The Vyne in Knaphill will be Woking’s first community asset (CA) transfer using the new policy that I presented to council this month. 

We’re aiming to make the change at The Vyne in April.

Woking’s CA transfer policy, the vehicle for community groups to take over the management of council buildings, was formally passed by council last Thursday.

Council officers and I have been in ongoing negotiations with Dramatize for months about the possibility of taking over The Vyne.

The day after I presented the CA transfer policy to council, I brought Karen Davies, Dramatize’s chief executive, together with local Knaphill community figures to share the vision for the future of The Vyne. 

The group included the chair of the Knaphill Churches, Pieter Lallemann, chair of the Knaphill Residents’ Association, Phil Stubbs, and the three borough councillors for Knaphill, Steve Greentree, Hassan Akberali and Saj Hussain alongside myself as portfolio holder and Woking council officers.

I recognise the importance of community and political buy-in and we will continue to work closely with the group during the entire transfer process. 

The purpose of the meeting was to bring interested Knaphill groups and councillors together to discuss Karen’s vision for The Vyne and to ask questions on how this may work at a practical level.

Let’s be honest too: as the first CA transfer there will undoubtedly be questions and things to work out, but having a strong collaborative group committed to the vision will help to smooth the inevitable snagging issues.

Dramatize have the vision which takes account of the current Vyne community centre users, and is looking to run a café between 10am and 4pm providing drinks, snacks and a hot meal.

More than that, it also gives new purpose to the centre by incorporating adults with learning disabilities who will work in the café and with the current users of The Vyne and the wider community within Knaphill.

Dramatize is an established trusted partner with Woking council, already running the tea rooms at Moorcroft Community Centre, and their vision is to support adults with learning disabilities to build their own futures, learning skills and experience as they take a full and active role in the wider community.

Current users were both excited and relieved when we shared the news with them; a number even volunteered to help Dramatize in the future.

Another welcome addition for residents of Knaphill is that Woking council is almost at the end of negotiations with the NHS, which will lead to a partial division of The Vyne. 

This will provide capacity for Heathcot Medical Practice, meaning more space for general practice services; we expect this to follow later this year.