Supporting Voluntary and Community Action
St Werburghs Centre is based in east-central Bristol. Our principal activity is to provide meeting spaces and facilities for individuals, community groups and voluntary organisations. The Centre is also available for hire by commercial business and public sector agencies.
The community centre has been operating on this site since 1972. In 1999 St Werburghs Community Association took over the management of the Centre and registered as a charity and company limited by guarantee. In 2010 St Werburghs Community Association successfully completed an Asset Transfer and a Capital Project of over £1m. The building is leased from Bristol City Council on a 35-year lease at a 'peppercorn' rent.
The Centre serves the communities of Ashley, Easton and Lawrence Hill wards, as well as communities of interest across the city. Ashley, Easton and Lawrence Hill have the highest percentage of black and minority ethnic residents in Bristol – 35.5%, 37.9% and 55.2% respectively . Furthermore, eight Lower Super Output areas in these wards are ranked amongst the most deprived 10% nationally in terms of multiple deprivation: income, education, employment, health, housing, crime, skills and training .
Our main aim is to promote the benefit and social welfare of the local people in a common effort to advance health, education and good relationships by eliminating discrimination and encouraging equality of opportunity between different groups. We focus on building mutually beneficial partnerships between groups and organisations in the community. In support of this, we run various events and projects, current to include Tai Chi for over 50's, Easy PC (computer classes), Jobschool (career advice), Picnic in the Park and we also have other organisations based in the Centre who are working within the local communities.