Hollins Village Community Association
Next Meeting
Tuesday 30th July 2019
7.30pm
In Hollins Social Club - Everyone Welcome!
About Us
Hollins Village Community Association (HVCA) became a formally constituted group in 2002. The reason for establishing HVCA as a properly constituted group was to allow us to gain access to grant funding.
The main aim of HVCA is to make Hollins Village a wonderful place to live, work and visit. We hold monthly meetings (usually the last Tuesday in the month at 7.30 p.m. in Hollins Social Club – check website for confirmation of dates,) to which everyone is welcome. It is always lovely to see new faces, as well as familiar friends.
The current Chairperson of HVCA is Councillor Joan Grimshaw, although Councillor Tahir Rafiq and Councillor David Jones usually attend also to pick up on issues raised at the monthly meetings. In addition, local police officers either attend or submit a written report.
We have an action plan, which is a list of suggestions for improvements to Hollins Village and this can be added to at any time. Some of the ideas have been relatively easy to implement, whilst others have taken a long time to come to fruition, due to extensive negotiation or funding applications. Here are some examples of developments that have taken place as a result of hard work from members of the group taking forward suggestions from the action plan. Around a quarter of a million pounds worth of improvements has resulted in:
What we have achieved:
It has perhaps been lost in the annals of time, but Hollins Village in the 19th century was a seat of learning. Many well known authors and writers came to the Village to read their works at the Hollins Young Men’s Institute. This institution grew over time and needed larger premises. When these properties were demolished in more modern times and the Council wanted to sell the land opposite the bakery to a developer, HVCA worked tirelessly to ensure that the covenants on that land were adhered to. This resulted in a fund being set up, to which properly constituted groups (not individuals) can apply for assistance with educational matters. The trustees meet two or three times per year to consider applications.
The main aim of HVCA is to make Hollins Village a wonderful place to live, work and visit. We hold monthly meetings (usually the last Tuesday in the month at 7.30 p.m. in Hollins Social Club – check website for confirmation of dates,) to which everyone is welcome. It is always lovely to see new faces, as well as familiar friends.
The current Chairperson of HVCA is Councillor Joan Grimshaw, although Councillor Tahir Rafiq and Councillor David Jones usually attend also to pick up on issues raised at the monthly meetings. In addition, local police officers either attend or submit a written report.
We have an action plan, which is a list of suggestions for improvements to Hollins Village and this can be added to at any time. Some of the ideas have been relatively easy to implement, whilst others have taken a long time to come to fruition, due to extensive negotiation or funding applications. Here are some examples of developments that have taken place as a result of hard work from members of the group taking forward suggestions from the action plan. Around a quarter of a million pounds worth of improvements has resulted in:
What we have achieved:
- Weight restriction on Croft Lane
- Improvements to play facilities, including construction of ball zone
- Provision of benches
- Path to school and park
- Reinstatement of bowling green and the provision of a new pavilion, including furnishings and equipment
- Provision of waste bins around the Village
- Provision of a notice board near to the Community Centre
- Development and writing a Village Design Statement that has been accepted as planning policy guidance by Bury MBC
- Challenge of planning applications, including giving evidence at planning appeals
- Liaison with architect over new housing development
- Suggestion of street names to preserve Village identity
- Re-routing of the 92 bus to provide public transport to Blackford House Medical Centre and ASDA
- Gaining a place as advisory member at Whitefield and Unsworth Township Forum and contributing to local community plan
- Resurfacing of Croft Lane
- Closure of the top of Melton Drive for safety
- Hedge cutting
- Lighting improvements
- Installation of ‘Welcome to Hollins Village’ sign
- Competition to design a Village coat of arms
- Production of newsletters
- Hollins in Bloom competition
- Provision of salt bins
- Web site development
- Liaison with United Utilities to raise concerns about
- Establishment of the Hollins Village Educational Fund (HIEF)
It has perhaps been lost in the annals of time, but Hollins Village in the 19th century was a seat of learning. Many well known authors and writers came to the Village to read their works at the Hollins Young Men’s Institute. This institution grew over time and needed larger premises. When these properties were demolished in more modern times and the Council wanted to sell the land opposite the bakery to a developer, HVCA worked tirelessly to ensure that the covenants on that land were adhered to. This resulted in a fund being set up, to which properly constituted groups (not individuals) can apply for assistance with educational matters. The trustees meet two or three times per year to consider applications.