Malton had a population of about 5,500 people, a figure virtually unchanged for more than 200 years, until recently. 

But with the implementation of Ryedale Plan, the town is now rapidly expanding and its population is to increase by 40-50%, by 2027.  Throughout the district of Ryedale, 50% of all new housing development is destined for Malton and neighbouring Norton-on-Derwent, 25% for Pickering, 15% for Kirkbymoorside, and 5% for Helmsley, leaving 5% for certain service villages.

Dearth of community facilities

There’s a dearth of community facilities in Malton and the Wesley Centre differentiates itself by prioritising the availability of facilities that genuinely supports its key goals:

• To be a building, open every day, and not just on Sunday
• To be an enabler for serving a wide variety of community interest groups which would otherwise struggle to find a place to undertake their speciality work at an affordable cost, and
• A place that residents and visitors can identify with as a place to meet, a place to come together for good music, to seek information, and as well as continuing place for the community to come together for worship, especially on Sunday.

Celebrating diversity

The Wesley Centre celebrates diversity and recognises the worth and dignity of all persons of any age, faith, gender, gender identity or expression, race, ethnic origin, economic reality, family status, sexual orientation, diverse ability or social status – and it will seek to express this diversity in practical ways. Malton is a community that is open and vulnerable, but with people willing to help and to receive from each other.

The Community Hub will support this ethos and need by creating a spirit of welcome and hospitality to everyone.

“This isn’t simply a scheme to save the building at any cost.  It’s an exciting scheme to reach out to the needs of a rapidly expanding community.  The primary objective is the development of a much needed community hub for Malton – open to all every day.  A resulting benefit will be the regeneration of this much loved historic building – that is capable of being both financially viable and sustainable for future generations to come”.