Providing a community space for all
Lenton Centre: ‘Putting Heart into the community’
Since 1979, the Lenton Community Association has been at the heart of an inner-city area of about 5,000 people one mile to the west of Nottingham city centre. The Association's 25th anniversary celebrations in 2004, coincided with a decision by Nottingham City Council to close Lenton Leisure Centre which occupied part of their building.
In response, the Association formed itself into a Trust, "The Lenton Centre" and asked to run the whole building. It produced the following "mission statement: “The Lenton Centre will be a social enterprise at the heart of a increasingly vibrant community, attracting and welcoming people from all generations and cultures into a bright, well-designed environment to enjoy a holistic range of learning and health-giving leisure activities. A friendly sanctuary, the Centre will offer a first point of contact for residents and students, promoting harmony and well being.”
In the months which followed, the group was able to appoint an architect and employ a business advisor to help produce a five-year business plan, as well as carry out a comprehensive consultation exercise with local residents, local businesses and voluntary organisations not only in Lenton, but across Greater Nottingham. So far, the project has attracted support not just from DTA and SEEM, but also from Nottingham University and various community based groups representing a variety of interests, including those promoting the wellbeing of Asian British communities, the over-50s and several disability groups. The Council has now agreed to sell the building to "The Lenton Centre Trust" for £10!
Contact: Jenny Hills (Chair), The Lenton Community Association; Tel: 0115 941 2422, Email: jhills@supanet.com
Action for Business (Bradford) Limited (ABL): giving the community “their” space
ABL is in a very diverse area and has created a truly neutral and welcoming space recognised by all communities as "their" space. This has been achieved by opening up facilities in the Centre to the community as a venue for social events. The Centre is extensively used for pre-wedding ceremonies like 'mehendi', Asian wedding receptions, birthday parties and for celebrating religious festivals like Eid for Muslims, Diwali for Hindus, Visakhi for Sikhs and Christmas for Christians.
ABL also organises a Community Lunch once a month. The purpose of community lunches is to develop a network of local people and encourage them to get involved in the economic regeneration of the area. At every meeting speakers are brought from key agencies to inform the community about their agency’s work. Members also get the opportunity to network with each other to increase their knowledge about new developments in the area.
Contact: Jenny Pupius (Chief Executive), Action for Business (Bradford) Ltd (ABL); Tel: 01274 223 203, Email: jenny@abl-cbc.co.uk, Web: www.abl-cbc.co.uk
Questions, strategies and advice from practitioners:
Will the building be multi-use/religion?
Are users part of the building management?
Other resources:
To have and to Hold, 2005 (DTA) is available online at www.dta.org.uk , where you can also access individual case studies of community organisations that have developed community spaces as part of their asset base programme.
