HISTORY OF RESPONSE

Response community projects was founded by local residents over 25 years ago to respond to the needs of disadvantaged members of the local community. In serving a diverse community our primary aim is to empower individuals and groups who have been marginalised by either; age, disability, ethnicity, social and or economic status, through the provision of services, training and activities that would otherwise be unavailable or inaccessible to them.

In the year 2000 Response underwent a comprehensive refurbishment to make the ground floor fully wheelchair accessible. It is at present the only disabled access community resource in this area.

Since 1975

Producing a free community newspaper distribute to all households in the area.

1978

Running a drop-in coffee/tea bar with an information service on welfare matters local activities and events etc, with low-cost bureau services (photocopier, fax, laminating) for the local community.

Organising the Earl’s Court Fair (revived in 1997 as the May fair) and since 1997 the Earl’s Court Festival (now a major local event).

Providing a base for small, law-funded organisations –e,g, the Somali Welfare organisation and Albanian-Kosovo support group.

Providing a meeting room at low costs (or free) for local organisations and for financially unsupported self-help groups (e.g. A/A N/A).

Organising free Christmas dinners before the Christmas for the elderly and on Christmas day for those alone and the homeless (now jointly with St Cuthbert’s Centre).

Organising outing and excursions for such groups as older people, young people and the disadvantaged.

1992

Running IT/English courses (with Kensington & Chelsea Collage tutors For refugees and others who need these skills to find work.

Providing free access to computers (including an Arabic computer) for community groups, local residents etc. who have difficulty in accessing such facilities.

1996

Running a Homework and Computer Club for children after school and providing a range of activities in the holidays.

2000

Now the whole of the ground floor is fully disabled-accessible becoming a UK on-line satellite base with 12 public access computers.

Increasing the use of the renovated meeting room for community group meetings (eg residents’s associations).

Providing computer training courses, with wheelchair access, particularly for those seeking work or trying to improve their work-related skills (course run with Kensington and Chelsea College tutors).

2002-03

With Community Fund grant

Providing a far greater range of computer-training courses particularly to benefit those who have difficulty accessing other similar provision.

Providing computer and internet access training, designed to meet individual needs, for anyone over 50.

Furthering promotion of the arts by hosting cultural evening such as poetry reading etc. and mounting exhibitions to which all of the public has equal access.

Providing additional resources (including supervised access to 12 computers with one Arabic computer) for all people in the community.

Re-launching Response Newspaper (Earl’s Court Community Newspaper) with state of the art desktop publishing, as a vehicle for local news interests,

Making available up-to-date desktop publishing facilities to community organisations.

Accommodating agencies serving but not located in the immediate area with facilities for satellite work.