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In 2006 a dispute arose between Community Base and Brighton and Hove Community and Voluntary Sector Forum (the forum) over the moving of a part-time 'ChangeUp project manager' into the space the forum licences at Community Base.
Early in 2006 the forum moved a ChangeUp project manager into the space it licences at Community Base. ChangeUp is a £72m government initiative aimed at building the capacity of the voluntary and community sector - Community Base got a grant of £200,000 from ChangeUp in 2006. ChangeUp is led locally by a cross-sector partnership Brighton and Hove ChangeUp consortium run by some leading local charities, including the forum, and local funders.
Community Base does not allow groups to share space it licences at Community Base with other organisations without permission. The forum claimed that Brighton and Hove ChangeUp Consortium did not legally exist and its manager, who is paid through the forum's payroll, is simply a forum employee. After months of correspondence with the forum, The Community Base board of trustees came to the conclusion that Brighton and Hove ChangeUp Consortium was a separate organisation to the forum and that the ChangeUp project manager worked for it. For instance according to point 11 of the terms of reference of the consortium's business management group it is the consortium rather than the forum that is responsible for the workplan of the project manager.
When Community Base asked the forum to stop accommodating the ChangeUp project manager the forum refused, saying it would be impossible for them to stay at Community Base without ChangeUp's manager. This led to notice being given to the forum ending their licence. The ChangeUp business management group referred to this request in the minutes of a meeting held on 28th September 2006 under the heading 'Change Up eviction from Community Base'. ChangeUp has never had a licence to occupy space at Community Base.
No one wanted to see the forum leave Community Base. However the Community Base board of trustees did not think it was fair that a cross-sector partnership that was not a charity or community group should be able to move into Community Base without Community Base's permission.
The forum responded to the notice ending its licence agreement by challenging the legality of its licence with Community Base. You can read Community Base's legal advice on the serious financial and other implications of this challenge for Community Base and Community Base licencees here.
Community Base is the only building in Brighton and Hove reserved solely for local charities and community groups, most of whom can't afford commercial rents. The view of the Community Base trustees was that if partnerships and quangos - however worthwhile their activities - were allowed to move into Community Base there wouldn't even be that.
In November 2006 Community Base withdrew the notice ending the forum's licence and set up a review aimed at reaching a consensus amongst everyone at Community Base on the important issues raised by the dispute.
