There are many ways you can get involved with the Lonsdale community centre which are outlined below:

Become a Member

Lonsdale community centre is a membership organisation with various forms of membership. Full membership  is open to adults living within the centre’s area of benefit (which is a one mile radius of the centre) without distinction of sex, sexual orientation, disability, race or of political, religious or other opinions. Associate membership is open to adults not living in the area of benefit, Affiliated membership is open to groups or organisations who wish to support us or further our objects, and finally Junior membership is open to individuals under 18 years of age and who live either in or outside the area of benefit. For a brief overview of membership of the Lonsdale Community Centre please see our membership guidelines here.

Benefits of being a member: The main benefit of becoming a member of the organisation is that you will have a say on our development and the kind of activities and projects we run. Every member other than Associate or Junior members has a vote at our Annual General Meeting (AGM) and may stand for election onto our governing body or Management Committee. Please see the information below on becoming a Trustee if you are interested in this option.

Should you wish to apply to become a member please download a copy of our membership forms from the links below. There are two different membership forms one for individuals and one for groups or organisations.

Individuals Membership Form

Groups Membership Form

Become a Volunteer

Volunteering is at the heart of all our activities and projects and we have several volunteers who have been with us since the opening of the community centre in 1984. Several of our groups are led by volunteers including our popular Art Group and we have regular volunteering opportunities available in the Community Cafe and Community Shop which are especially helpful for those wishing to gain catering and retail work experience. We also have other volunteer opportunities available for specific projects or activities. For example we have many volunteers helping us run our ‘Learn2Earn’ project offering support to job seekers and we have a volunteer helping us with publicity. We are open to discuss other volunteering opportunities should you have any skills, talents or ideas of your own.

We offer a full support package for all our volunteers which includes a full induction, one 2 one support by an identified staff member and regular training opportunities. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer please download, complete and return our Volunteer Application Form.

Become a Trustee

The Lonsdale Community Centre is run and managed by our trustees. These are people who are members of the organisation and who serve on our governing body or Council of Management which we informally refer to as the Management Committee. The trustees ultimately have the responsibly of directing all the affairs of the organisation including the building. Any full member of the organisation may stand to become a trustee and this is done by completing a nomination form and standing for election at our Annual General Meeting (AGM). Trustees retire from office annually but may stand for re-election at the next AGM. As a trustee you will receive a copy of our Memorandum and Articles of Association, a full induction and training and support as required.

For general guidance about the responsibilities of Charity Trustees please click the following link from the Charity Commission. ‘The essential trustee: what you need to know’