Slade for the community

The Slade Lives Again project continues to involve committed people, who are working actively to see that the former Slade School campus remains in the hands of the community as a community hub – a place for the whole region to enjoy.  The campus provides a place to share skills, music and educational pursuits, together with social activities; a place to relax or be physically active; a place that fosters a sense of belonging and well being for all those who participate – generating social cohesion. What a location!
Did you know that the following groups use the campus on a regular basis? Two Churches, the Spinners and Weavers, two country music clubs (who use the hall at the weekend and during the week for practice), Pangea Music, Lifeline, a Mediaeval Group, a dance studio, and the Blue Light Disco already have sites on the campus. Slade Campus also provides facilities for visiting members, who use the campus on a casual basis like sporting clubs, school groups, volunteers (who offered their services during flood relief and only recently left), air cadets (45 in residence last week) here for training and so on. Already, the campus has hosted three weddings this year, providing facilities for the Chapel service, photographs, drinks and reception, fully catered for. There is Bed and Breakfast accommodation available for out of town guests. Three more weddings are booked before October.
The Slade site is a very busy and well used site, and could be even more so, if marketed more aggressively.
There is room for many other community groups to occupy the wonderful space, peace and tranquillity that Slade offers, to further utilise the site – more clubs are joining, as they become aware of what is on offer. If the site is retained by the community, respite for dementia sufferers and the disabled is a distinct possibility.
We are concerned that the council may have its own agenda for Slade. Why else would our correspondence with regard to its use, later in the year, remain unanswered after six weeks? Why the arrival of the mysterious red helicopter? Where will the groups currently using Slade find a place they can afford, if the council sells the property? For example, the nearest hall of the required size would be at Massie. How accessible would this be for the community? Why consider selling a property that is used so much by the community, to anyone else?
If the council must divest itself of real estate, perhaps it could consider selling the Applethorpe TAFE Campus to the helicopter pilots, due to its proximity to the Stanthorpe Aerodrome. What about relocating those using the former Rosenthal site to Slade?  The Rosenthal site would lend itself very well to future development. Despite our concerns, the Slade Lives Again group will continue to pursue this matter to its conclusion. You will find us in the Rose City Shoppingworld for the week starting July 18. Do drop by and show your support. The Slade Campus is too valuable a community resource to sell to anyone else!
Margaret McKinnon, Warwick