Below is information about Merchants' Place and how it all started.  The funding will run out by the end of 2007 so please come down before and after this date to help support us and see what we can do for you.

Cromer CER Project December 2004 to December 2007 Merchants’ Place

What - To create a Learning and Resource Centre in Cromer as part of the Community Economic Regeneration initiative as developed by the Cromer Regeneration Partnership. This will act as a multi-agency one stop shop for the not for profit (socio-economic) sector offering advice and guidance on learning and training opportunities as well as jobsearch support, business start up advice and local training provision. It is also proposed to the health shop, which supports many self help groups as well as operating a support service for health issues.
 
The centre will include two training rooms which will allow up to 30 courses to be run each week (note the Cromer Learning for Life project has been running up to 17 courses a week but has been restricted by resources, in terms of both staff and physical venue).
 
In addition there will be meeting and interview rooms and a reception/ resource area, which will allow individual support on a wide range of issues.
 
Why - A shortage of full employment, local services and enterprise is one aspect of exclusion facing people in rural based neighbourhoods. The challenge in economic terms is to rebuild livelihoods and restore robust local markets. Sustainable neighbourhood renewal will not happen without enterprise development. Conversely, enterprise development will be of marginal relevance unless it is part of a wider strategy to develop people’s skills and self-esteem and help them use mainstream services from which they feel isolated or excluded.
 
The need for a centre has been highlighted by:

• The Buchanan Report 1999
• The Cromer Centre – Strengthening Living and Learning in Cromer – Feasibility Study June 2003
• Cromer Learning for Life Project Closure Report January 2003
• As well as the ongoing research of the Lifelong Learning and Social Cohesion Focus Groups of the Cromer regeneration partnership and the work of Cromer Learning projects

There has been a lack of suitable training facilities in Cromer as had been highlighted by Paston and Adult Education in the past. Also providers who have attempted to establish a presence in Cromer were forced to compromise by using first floor premises with poor accessibility, Yarmouth College and Bennington Resource Centre. The Yarmouth College centre closed down in 2003 when they were unable to locate alternative viable premises.
 
The model for a successful learning centre has been demonstrated in Fakenham where the Learning Centre was established by The College of West Anglia in 1997. This was and is a shop front in the town centre and continues to be well utilised.
 
Current Learning and Skills Council Adult and Community Learning strategy emphasises life skills and up to Level 2 provision, in particular for those without a level 2 qualification. The centre would offer provision to support this strategy but would also offer provision that is not prioritised under this strategy, in particular confidence building courses which can act as an entry level for further education and work opportunities.
 
What has happened - In May 2006, Merchants’ Place, a new Community Resource and Learning Centre, opened on Church Street.
 

• In the year since then, the centre has had more than 25,000 contacts and there have been over 350 individual one to one advice appointments giving information, advice and guidance to local people.
   
• There have been sixty two courses and forty three business and community groups that have met at Merchants’ Place in its first year.

Numerous learning events have been organised aimed at promoting learning and raising aspirations:

• Pathways to Learning on March 17th , North Norfolk’s first event aimed at giving information to young people and adults about the type of courses available, was a success with over eighty enquiries to representatives from twelve organisations including five HE institutions.
   
• Learning for Everyone organised a three week intensive English course for Polish people who had been made redundant from a local company. It was held at Merchants’ Place, funded through R2R and delivered by ICS, a language school in Norwich.
   
• An Information Event in Polish was organised at Merchants’ Place aimed at informing people about U.K. services such as Health, Education, Housing and Police. It was a great success with over thirty people attending and a Polish television company came to film the event.

On 10th July 2007, Merchants Place won an award from Action for Market Towns as the regional project supporting Strategic Partnership work.
 
Press Release 27/9/2007- Cromer Centre Gets National Recognition
 
Merchants Place has just won a prestigious award as the best market town initiative in the country. The award was made by Action for Market Towns at their annual conference in Newmarket yesterday. Poppyland Partnership Coordinator Catherine Plewman and Project Manager John Morgan were there to collect the award from TV sports commentator Derek Thompson. Action for Market Towns is an organisation dedicated to promoting the vitality and viability of small towns.
 
“We are delighted with this award” said Cromer Past Present Future chair, Peter Stibbons, “It is recognition of the hard work put in by the project team, the board and our many collaborating partners, in particular funding from Europe and the support from North Norfolk District Council and Cromer Town Council”
 
Earlier this year Merchants’ Place won the regional award which put the centre through for the National competition finals. Merchants’ Place has been open for just over a year and supports and arranges learning and community activities in Cromer. In the first twelve months some 25,000 made use of the Centre. Many organisations use the Centre, including Citizens Advice Bureau, Adult Education and Connexions. The Centre focuses on providing a one stop approach and offers information and advice on training and work opportunities for individuals.
 
For more information please contact John Morgan or Catherine Plewman on 01263 519454 or info@cromercentre.co.uk
 

Notes for editors
Merchants’ Place is a Community Resource and Learning Centre situated in Cromer town centre. It has a computer training suite, two meeting rooms which can be combined into one room for conferences and three confidential one to one interview rooms. All are available for hire with or without refreshments.

Merchants Place was opened in May 2006. It is run by Cromer Past Present Future Limited, a not for profit company limited by guarantee that was formed out of the Cromer Regeneration Partnership. Cromer PPF is a founder member of the Poppyland Partnership which is the local area partnership for Cromer and the surrounding eleven parishes.

The Centre was funded as part of the £1.2m Cromer Community Economic Regeneration Package through the East of England Objective 2 European Union Structural Funds programme, the East of England Development Agency with contributions from Norfolk County Council, North Norfolk District Council and Cromer Town Council.

For more information on current activities at Merchants’ Place or to find out how to book the facility please call 01263 519454.