Our vision…
is to be a high-quality and popular hub for sports, health and training, valued by the people of Halesworth and surrounding communities.

About the Organisation

Halesworth Campus was formed by local people and registered as a charity (number 1148177) in 2012, shortly after the closure of Halesworth Middle School. Our aim then was to acquire the former Middle School site and to develop it for sports and recreation, in response to the lack of facilities serving the people of Halesworth and surrounding parishes, when compared with other Suffolk market towns. The number of residents in what we see as our ‘catchment area’ is about 20,000.

The charity currently has seven trustees. We are very ‘hands on’ and the board meets monthly to deal with all the business. We have no employees and there are no committees managing delegated areas of business. When the facilities become operational, their day-to-day management will be carried out by our preferred operating partner – currently Everyone Active.

Halesworth Campus is also incorporated as a company limited by guarantee (number 08027845), so we make annual returns to Companies House, as well as to The Charity Commission. You can also find our accounts and annual reports in the reports section of this site.

The development of the new facilities is being carried out by Halesworth Campus Enterprises. This company is a subsidiary, wholly owned by Halesworth Campus, which was established, following expert advice, in order to limit the amount of tax the developments will be liable for.

 

About the Site

The site is also now known as Halesworth Campus. It was transferred from Suffolk County Council to the charity in several parcels during 2013 and 2014, a portion of which has been sold to Castlemeadow Care in order to fund the first phase of development. It is currently a mainly level and open site, which includes the following:

• The former playing fields of Halesworth Middle School, which are used for rugby training and summer events for children.
• The concrete slab on which the school building sat before it was demolished.
• The former school caretaker’s bungalow, which is rented out.
• The Apollo building, which is leased to the Apollo Youth Club.
• The Halesworth Skills Centre and access, which is still owned by the County Council, and is operated by Suffolk New College.
• A field, acquired by Halesworth Campus as part of the ‘community benefit’ contribution of the adjacent housing development.

It will look very different when the proposed developments have been completed in a few years’ time.

The Halesworth Campus site, along with several other adjoining sites and developments, have collectively been designated as Halesworth Healthy Neighbourhood in East Suffolk Council’s Local Plan 2019. Campus trustees are pleased to be a part of this wider vision for Halesworth.