Just a quick update on this very concerning matter where a handful of ‘Directors’ of Mexborough Community Partnership sold one of the town’s charitable assets for a fraction of its worth to Mexborough Business Centre in Sep 2018. The Resource Centre (valued at circa £250K) was sold by MCP for £20K cash + £10K per annum for 10 years….therefore £120K deal).

You can read all about this ‘dodgy deal’ here –

https://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/…/resource-centre…

https://www.rotherhamadvertiser.co.uk/…/view,fresh-fury…

MCP went into liquidation in July 2020 following strong legal action by The Coalfields Regeneration Trust who awarded MCP £300,000 in order to renovate the former SY Times Building and create a vibrant & much needed ‘Resource Centre’ for the town. Unfortunately, MCP did not notify CRT of the intended sale this breaching a grant condition of the grant award in 2006.

The photo attached in this article is of the MCP Newsletter announcing the successful £300K Grant Award by CRT in April 2006.

There is so another article in Feb 2006 proudly announcing that MCP had secured £500K to improve Mex Town Centre.

This is another story and a further example of MCP letting the town down badly and not being a robust and ‘fit for purpose’ community entity fundamental to securing much-needed investment for our Principal Town. We are currently working with Doncaster Council and other partners to create a brand new entity which is mandatory to deliver much-needed investment on the back of the ‘Mexborough Masterplan’. More details to follow.

We have raised our concerns with the Liquidator (Gibson Booth based in Barnsley) and also the Charity Commission with regards the business conducted by a small group of MCP Directors (many of who are/were members of Mexborough Branch Labour Party.) who are not representative of our town’s needs and community/business activities. The Liquidator is currently investigating the business and the accounts of MCP for the past few years. The Chair of MCP (now in liquidation) is former Mex Cllr Sue Phillips.

We are assured that the circa £1,000pm is being paid by MBC direct to the Liquidator and not to MCP. Ultimately, it is imperative that ALL PROCEEDS of the sale of MRC are repaid back to CRT and then reinvested into the town via a fit for purpose body who has the town’s best interests at heart (not for personal gain).

Ideally, we would like to see the sale of MRC in Sep 2018 reversed and the building returned back to the community with the fit and proper people who will be ‘custodians’ of this community asset.

Unfortunately, Liquidators do not come cheap and this is an extremely lengthy and costly process. We have escalated our ongoing concerns with the CEO & senior directors of DMBC, Ros Jones Ed Miliband CRT & Charity Commission and are currently awaiting a response from the CC on actions they will taking on the back of the legal action taken by CRT.

We will keep everyone posted on developments in due course.

Bev, Andy & Sean
Mexborough First Councillors