THE BRIDGE UPDATE 26th SEPTEMBER 2025

Following the recent announcement that National Insurance increases had scuppered Parchment Trust’s plans to open The Bridge Community Centre, the charity now explains the process they are taking for a sale and how they will use the proceeds to support local disabled people at their other sites, including Friary Gardeners which offers mutual benefit to the general public.

What does Parchment Trust do?

Parchment Trust is a registered charity that has been providing essential day services to disabled adults in and around the Hastings area for over 30 years. Every week 180 adults with learning disabilities, Autism and profound & complex needs are supported to access and contribute to the community. The charity is often described as a lifeline for some of Hastings’ most vulnerable people and their families.

Why did Parchment Trust take on The Bridge?

The vision was to expand Parchment Trust’s services, to create the UKs first community centre run by disabled people for the benefit of the whole community. This would have provided valuable work experience for disabled people, and a wonderful resource for everyone to connect, learn and benefit from time together. It was an ambitious but exciting plan which was well within the charity’s means when the project began.

Why was Parchment Trust unable to open The Bridge?

When Parchment Trust was chosen as the next owner of The Bridge back in 2018, the legal transfer of ownership was unclear – it was an extremely lengthy and complicated process with several parties involved.

As soon as the charity gained full ownership 18 months ago (March 2024), the team took action to get things moving; they made a plan in consultation with the local community, invested lots of money to repair the building and raised funds to renovate the top floor. The plan was to open to the public summer 2025. However, the increase in National Insurance and minimum wage (April 2025) was so significant that the charity was unable to continue with the plans to renovate and run The Bridge without de-railing its central services. This was the final straw after recent years of squeezed funding from central government for Adult Social Care.

So what happens next?

Parchment Trust is now on a mission to find a new owner, so that:

• The Bridge can be re-opened as soon as possible, which is long overdue and very important to the community

• The charity can recover some of its losses and invest the money back into projects like Friary Gardeners, its plant nursery which is also open to the public. This site benefits Parchment Trust members and local people who visit to enjoy the beautiful plants and inclusive atmosphere, supporting wellbeing for all.

In terms of a process, the charity is following the guidance set out by its regulator, The Charities Commission. This means that The Bridge is now available for sale, with an asking price of £650,000, in line with an independent valuation.

The Bridge is situated on Priory Road. It was designed and built in 2006 as an eco building, measuring approximately 5400 square foot over three floors, with substantial outside space and gardens. The site has covenants for community use, so any new owner will need to ensure the building offers public benefit for local people.

All enquiries should be made through agent Dyer and Hobbis. Details of the building and the sale will be available from 26th September 2025.

www.dyerandhobbis.com

01424 423 626

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UPDATE 01/10/25: Why can’t Parchment Trust just give The Bridge away to a local organisation?

Some people have asked why we can’t just give The Bridge away for free – good question. We’d like to explain:

• There are strict laws and guidelines which must be followed when it comes to disposing of a property owned by a charity, you can’t just do whatever you’d like to

• Trustees have a legal obligation to always make sure their decisions are in the best interests of the charity and that they must also get the very best terms they reasonably can … with just a few very specific exceptions.

• Parchment Trust trustees sought legal advice and professional guidance when deciding how to dispose of The Bridge

• Due to the fact that Parchment Trust has invested a lot of money in The Bridge, it is in the charity’s ‘best interests’ to try to recover these losses through a sale. This was the strong advice we received in line with our legal obligations.

• If we chose to simply give it away, trustees may be in breach of their legal obligations

• To decide on the price, we followed the guidance from the Charities Commission to have an independent valuation done, which took into account the covenants for community use

• So, a sale is where we must start

• In summary, you have our commitment that we will do our very best to find a community-minded owner, but we hope you understand that in the process, we also have a duty to fulfil our legal obligations for the benefit of our charity which serves disabled people in Hastings.

We will keep everyone updated on any news or change on this page.