Ogmore centre

Ogmore Centre at Ogmore-by-Sea, often referred to as the Ogmore School Camp, is situated on an 18.7-acre (76,000 m²) site on the Glamorgan Heritage Coast.^[1] It was built for the benefit of children from all over South Wales shortly before World War II as a residential education, sport, arts and outdoor activities centre for young people 8-24 years of age.^[2]

The management of the centre has changed several times since then. It is currently closed and its future is uncertain.

History

It provided a unique and safe environment, out of home and away from the classroom. For many it was their adventure of being away from home and mixing with children from other communities, so important in early development. It came under the ownership of Bridgend City Council at the time of local authority reorganisation. It had previously been operated under the old Mid Glam Education Authority. Although still under the ownership of Bridgend County Borough Council it is now officially in The Vale of Glam with regard to planning etc. After it was closed by Bridgend County Borough Council in the mid 90s considerable public pressure led to it being reopened in 1998 as a Trust under the leadership of Roger Lewis, now Chief Executive of the Welsh Rugby Union.

In the subsequent years up to 2006 some 8000/10000 children a year attended residential courses in a wide range of subjects from literacy, languages, mathematics, music, performing arts, sports and environmental studies. Of more importance it provided a sense of adventure by being the first time away from home for many yet in a safe secure facility. While in need of some upgrading the Camp has a large sprung floor gymnasium with indoor facilities for basketball, football, badminton, indoor cricket nets etc. It has outdoor playing fields for both rugby and soccer, and an outdoor climbing frame. In addition it has a computer lab and a hall for performing arts together with classrooms and rehearsal facilities. All of this, together with the outstanding natural resources of the site, local beaches and heritage coast.

In 2004 planning approval was given to build a new ECO Centre on site, which would have been a living, learning environment for sustainability studies and would have made the site a Centre of Environmental Excellence.

The Trust deliberately kept the cost of attendance low to enable children from some of the poorer areas to afford to attend. As running costs escalated this was starting to tip the economic balance of running the centre against it being able to continue. In order to move forward, the Trust sought the help of Kingswood Education and Adventure Centres. An organisation who operate a number of similar facilities in the UK. They had the resource to improve the marketing and provide funding for upgrading the facilities.

Today

In 2007 Kingswood offered to pay an economic rent and provide the funding to upgrade the facility or purchase the Centre outright so it could continue as a residential education facility with preferential rates for local children, but sadly BCBC after initial discussion declined to explore either of these possibilities further and declared the Trust to be in breach of their lease agreement. Bridgend refused any variation of the lease agreement thereby forcing Kingswood to vacate the centre and further declines of local or central funding put a huge strain on the Trust that had originally saved the centre and unfortunately they were forced to close its doors in December 2007 with the loss of local jobs.

The Glamorgan Gazette reported that Bridgend had secretly identified the site as potentially generating £7m revenues during a difficult budgetary period.^[1] A planning application by BCBC to demolish the centre and build some 84 houses was submitted in 2009. Wig Fach Property Company are competing for planning permission to also develop the site together with the adjacent caravan park to build some 130 houses. Wig Fach have said they would keep the education facility and are prepared to look again at the Kingswood proposal. However their plan provides for the demolition and change of use of more than 50% of the residential capacity so vital to the ongoing viability of the site for residential education.

In August 2009 Kingswood Centres restated their commitment to re-open the centre with a £2-£3 Million investment at a local resident community meeting. Attempts are still under way from local groups, the trustees of Ogmore Centre and Kingswood to allow the centre to reopen in 2010.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Harrison, Andrew (Dec 6 2007). "Secret deal to net £7m". Wales Online (Glamorgan Gazette). http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/south-wales-news/bridgend-maesteg/2007/12/06/secret-deal-to-net-7m-91466-20212028/. Retrieved 2009-09-21. 
2. ^ "Ogmore Centre Trust". http://www.cobwebs.uk.net/ogct. Retrieved 2009-09-23. 

External links

• Website for Kingswood Educational Centres