The community facility, which is built on land donated to Reepham by the Stimpson family after the end of the Second World War, is facing a serious shortfall of revenue as increasing maintenance costs are forecast over the next few years.
 
At a meeting on 12 January, around 40 residents and users of the facility discussed what form a management committee could take and its possible roles and responsibilities, and vowed to take this idea forward.
 
The working group, chaired by Cllr Chris Wheeler with Simon Chipperfield as vice chairman, includes several other members with a wide range of experience.
 
“This is just one positive step; there is a long way to go,” Cllr Wheeler admitted. “We will not take over the running of Stimpson’s Piece overnight. And it is vitally important that we don’t go ahead with any plans without consulting with the community first.”
 
In recent years, the management of Stimpson’s Piece has been taken over by Reepham Town Council after several attempts to re-form a management committee, which is a requirement of the Trust deeds.
 
The Town Council, which is the Trustee of Stimpson’s Piece Charity, has offered its full support to a new management committee to help it move forward and to hopefully run Stimpson’s Piece, with a view to improving the pavilion as a viable and self-financing facility.
 
See our earlier news stories:

• New management committee proposed for Stimpson’s Piece
• Bawdeswell’s example of how to rebuild a community facility
• Reepham Nursery School has ‘no plans to move’ in the near future