IN FOCUSTHE STORY OF OBLONG AND WOODHOUSE COMMUNITYCENTRE

I
t is 20 years this year since Oblong opened its doors in a small oblong studio building, hence the name.Since then it has grown to be a massive world conquering multinational, no not really. If you are not aware of what Oblong is, it is actually a charity for people looking to improve their lives and their communities.

In fact it couldn’t be more different to a multinational. Oblong is a collective championing working with a flat structure that sees eight part-time staff and over fourty volunteers working together as equals.Today it operates from Woodhouse Community Centre, however, there have been a number of moves over the years before getting to the point they are at today. They have taken over the centre from Leeds City Council, thanks to Lottery funding, however, they have a loan to repay over 10 years too.

Not all the moves were planned though. In December of 2010 Oblong was operating at Belulah Hall. The landlord failed to pay the electric bill and the power was cut off. By January, Oblong had moved into Woodhouse Community Centre. A feasibility study was carried out. Dave Smith from the Social Enterprise Support centre said: “The potential for the building is enormous as it is currently massively under-utilised.”Oblong then put together a plan to take over the building from Leeds City Council and in April of 2011 they took over with a fully refurbished space. Now, the centre is in the hands of the community. There’s none of the usual ‘behind the scenes’. Oblong is committed that they will support local people to access resources and develop skills to create an active, flourishing community.

Office space is available and rooms can be hired. It is also focused on providing opportunities for volunteers in all manner of ways.
Past and ongoing activities include English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), mental health work shops Headspace and ABC, an arts project for teenagers with Aspergers. The building itself is over 200 years old and as you can imagine has a great deal of history. Although in recent years it had become underused, before Oblong took over, that was not always the case.
The site began life as a Sunday school before transforming into a library in 1840 and then further expanding into a day school in 1874. Then around 1891 a new building was constructed on the site.

It continued to be used to provide education and in 1951 Leeds City
Council took over, purchasing it for £4000 and used it as an annexe for Quarry Mount School. By 1975 it was under threat of demolition but through a body of elected managers and the education authority it was reprieved and became Woodhouse Community Centre.Oblong then moved into the building taking over in 2011 and transforming it into today’s state. And now it is operated with the values of empowerment, collectivism, sustainability, equality and respect and care. And of course with its main focus of being community led, focusing on the needs and ideas of local people.