From: Phil South

Views : I attended Boxmoor Arts Centre for Young people from the age of about 10 and kept going back there until I ended up working there up to the age of about 26. I'm now 44 and working at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
It would be a tragedy of enormous proportions to let this valuable local resource go to the dogs. It's been giving unrivalled access to the arts, theatre, photography and music to kids of all classes and ethnicities for about 34 years and the people of Hemel would be foolish to let such a valuable traditional home of the arts in the town to die off.
This is not a huge shock to me though. BACFYP has always struggled with local burocracy to stay alive, and has always been underfunded and used as a political football by all manner of careerist, art hating jobsworths who see it as a waste of time to spend money on anything so worthless as art. They would rather see a shiny new building with their name on the foundation stone.
Don't let the 34 year legacy of the Boxmoor Arts Centre amount to nothing except the happy memories and productive artistic careers it has fostered throughout its history. Don't let short term political expediency rob you of inexpensive long term access to the arts for local people.

From:Elaine Walker
Great Elms Road,
Hemel Hempstead
Views : Re: Boxmoor Arts Centre

My son attends drama at Boxmoor Arts Centre and has done for a couple of years.He is 12y and recentley moved on to secondary school. The transition has been easy, which I put down partly to his increased confidence gained through drama workshops and clubs. Following the anouncement my son went to school and got about 80 signatures including many teachers to sigh his Save Boxmoor Art Centre Petition the next day ( and he hasn't started on family yet).He asked me what the council will do with it. Would they just put it in the bin? I felt like saying, YES MORE THAN LIKELY! Boxmoor Trust helped finance this hall for the community. It has recentley been adapted for disabled young people. It provides not only regular drama, art and dance classes, but incorporates a playgroup and various holiday workshops which are well attended.So the next person to moan about our young hemel people will know where to direct there complaints to, namely Dacorum Council!!!!

From: Mr Trevor Francis
Bassil Road
Hemel Hempstead
Views : Having just added my vote to your pole for the arts centre building to stay, what about the BOXMOOR HALL PRE-SCHOOL that uses the building as well.
Both my two daughters went there, and a fine pre-school it is.
The pre-school has been there for nearly 30 years and is having problems finding a suitable new site, they should not have to move! think of the children that love going there.And the staff that put so much effort into the whole thing.

From: Brian Hunt
Address supplied:
Views: I don't expect clever or honest thinking from politicians.  But the Boxmoor Arts Centre is an very active and valuable part of making Hemel Hempstead a better community and should not be closed.  My son is just one of many teenagers who have attended the Wired For Sound courses there over recent years.  These two week courses develop musical skills and confidence while working with professional musicians from rock to classical. At the end of the two weeks, the performance put on by the bands formed in the course is always impressive and has led on to several local rock groups forming and playing gigs.
The saving of around £80,000 is peanuts.  Go out in Hemel Hempstead any evening and see groups of teenagers hanging around without anything to do. I thought paying council tax was part of improving the community I live in? Of course, the closure of the Arts Centre will mean one empty building next to the Old Projectionist.  Knocking those buildings down would release a lot of prime building land and make a lot a money for a few people at the expense of the community. 
Perhaps all the musicians, from Sambuka to former Wired For Sound attendees, should get together for a massive protest jam session in the Marlows?  We can't let this go without a fight!

From: Simon Brandon
Grovehill, Hemel Hempstead
Views : Re: Boxmoor Arts Centre.
It really does not surprise me that the powers that be have decided to close the arts centre. It provides excellent facilities on the cheap for several different groups of young people (and some not so young)and enables to develop themselves and spend their time in a constructive manner. It seems quite clear that the sharp thinkers at Dacorum Council would rather these young people spent their time on the streets of Hemel doing nothing or may be just engaging in a spot of petty crime. I hope the council get a good deal on selling off the arts centre, as they will need the extra funding for their anti-social behaviour teams.

From: Claudia Redmond
Stratford Way, Boxmoor,
Views : Re: Boxmoor Arts Centre for Young People
I want to register my disgust at the forthcoming closure of the Boxmoor Arts Centre for Young People - what is happening to Hemel Hempstead, will the Conservative council not be happy until everything is closed down? My son has attended drama classes at the centre since he was 5 and is now nearly 11 - it has given him great confidence and social skills - my daughter also attends and she won a place with the National Youth Ballet last year, I truly believe the drama has given her added confidence and my youngest attends wonderful art classes there every Saturday which she really looks forward to. I think it is a sad day for the town when young people are being denied a place like this and no doubt some councillors will be receiving incentives to sell it on to developers to turn into ugly flats - like we need more!!!

From:Alison
Rockford, Illinois, USA
Views : Why not make it into an indoor soccer centre?  I am an ex Hemel resident and we have an indoor soccer centre here in our town in the USA and it is so busy year round.  We also provide basketball and volleyball courts.  You could even have badminton courts there too.  I am sure it would not run at a loss.  How many local people play football, basketball, badminton etc? It is so hard to get a court at the sports centre.

From: Angela Stock
Newlands Rd Hemel Hempstead
Views : Re; D-DAY FOR BOXMOOR HALL

I read with sadness that Boxmoor Hall is under threat for two reasons. Firstly because several members of my family have reaped great enjoyment from art, drama & writing events organized by the Arts centre. Secondly because it was only last summer that expensive works making the building fully accessible to people of all physical abilities. This is not 'joined-up' thinking by the council, if closure was on the cards.

Elsewhere in the local news, the lack of activities available to children is bemoaned, and often cited as a reason underlying the anti-social behaviour of some youngsters. So COME ON moaners, put pen to paper & tell your local councillor that you think reducing arts opportunities for the youth in Hemel is a BAD idea. Likewise, we parents who have seen the benefit to our children must SING ITS PRAISES to the decision makers before we lose this valuable resource!

From: Maureen Flint - Councillor
Middleknights Hill
Hemel Hempstead
Views : The Tory administration at Dacorum Borough Council, have passed a very cruel budget that falls in the main on our elderly and young people. The services lost will diminish quality of life and have an impact on independent living within our communities. The Conservative administration has received large sums of money over and above their grant like 1.3million pounds for housing repairs. In the long run it will cost more and will only deliver the Tory proposed savings of 2.85 million if no one else picks up the services lost. 



No thought or forward planning went into the budget process, some groups that will be effected have not be told or consulted before hand to see what the Council could do to help cushion the blow.



We know that the partners in the voluntary section should have been the organizations we looked to, to ensure that we are able keep the elderly and young people safe and active. Instead the Tories have taken a further 10% budget cuts for 2004/5 to these voluntary sector groups, in fact this is the fifth year of cuts for the voluntary sector. No longer can voluntary organizations cut back on how much stationary they buy. As you can see from last weeks Gazette services like Debt Advice will go, Rural Advice Services, Bus Routes, Dacorum Days, the Tea-Time Service, Dial-a-Ride to go, this is a small snap shot of area's being cut, plus the Housing advice centre is moving into the Civic Centre and a 14% hike in Meals on Wheels.



Boxmoor Arts Centre is to be closed straight away, with a saving of 71 thousand pounds programme costs. This is not the real reason to close the venue, after all this is a tiny amount when you think how many children and young people will have no home to continue their activity. As Councillor Derek Townsend quoted at full council, it is an ugly building so I am sure he will not object when it is sold off for housing. Other buildings and services for young people are being considered for closure.