Kings Heath Community Centre Saved by Local Cooperative After Council Sell-Off
In a remarkable display of community spirit, hundreds of residents in Kings Heath have become co-owners of their local community centre after rallying together to rescue it from closure. Birmingham City Council had deemed the Heathfield Road venue surplus to requirements as part of a bankruptcy-busting sell-off, prompting a grassroots campaign to secure its future.
Massive Fundraising Effort Secures Centre's Future
More than 650 people and organizations joined forces in a crowdfunding campaign that raised an impressive £173,000 to invest in the community centre. The vast majority of contributors invested £50 or less, demonstrating widespread local support. This collective effort has enabled the formation of a cooperative that will now run the centre, with every investor receiving one vote regardless of their financial contribution.
Lisa Trickett, a local city councillor and founding member of the project, expressed her enthusiasm for the achievement. "It's the best thing I've ever done," she said. "The breadth and difference of the people and organizations involved, the different age groups, and the different interests truly reflects the makeup of Kings Heath. It shows what a great community and place Kings Heath and our city can be when we want to do something good together."
From Financial Drain to Community Asset
The community centre had been making an annual loss of approximately £60,000, which led Birmingham City Council to include it in their asset disposal program following the authority's declaration of effective bankruptcy in 2023. The council has now granted a 25-year lease at no cost to the community cooperative, which will be responsible for income generation, maintenance, and repairs, with all profits reinvested into the centre.
This represents the second time Kings Heath residents have mobilized to protect local assets. Three years ago, the community rescued York Supplies, a hardware shop that had been trading in the area for 75 years, through a similar community share offer that raised £350,000 in just six weeks.
Diverse Programming and Future Plans
The revitalized centre already hosts a wide variety of regular activities that reflect Kings Heath's diverse population. Current users include United Artists of South Birmingham (a ballroom dancing and tea dance group), multiple martial arts organizations, a Thai boxing club, self-defense classes, the Kings Heath local history society, tai chi and pilates groups, the Nabarun Hindu Bengali Cultural Association, parent and baby activity groups, and a sewing and crafts group for women.
Organizations regularly operating from the centre include Kings Heath Playcare Scheme, diabetes prevention programs, WeightWatchers, and Birmingham City Council Housing Support services. Talks are underway with Cadbury College about hosting adult education and other learning opportunities.
Matt Powell, chair of Kings Heath's Business Improvement District (BID), emphasized the centre's importance. "We have a dance group with 90-year-olds, parent and baby groups, all sorts of different cultures, three different faith groups that meet here on a Sunday," he said. "That diversity extrapolates out onto the high street. Taking this centre to the next stage of its evolution is going to help Kings Heath and the city."
Ambitious Improvement Projects Underway
The cooperative has already begun implementing improvement projects to enhance the facility. A £30,000 grant is funding upgrades to disabled toilet facilities to ensure those requiring hoist access and adult changing facilities can use the centre comfortably. The kitchen is scheduled for renovation, and plans are in development to add solar panels to the roof to improve sustainability.
Additional improvements include adding a stage, enhancing the main hall's appearance and flooring, and resurfacing the rear garden to create a safe community garden space. A local business has created a new website for the centre free of charge, including an upgraded booking system to make hiring spaces more accessible.
A Model for Community Empowerment
Jean-Claude Kabuiku of Bold Actions CIC, one of the organizations regularly using the centre, praised the cooperative model. "As a community facing a lot of barriers, we sometimes struggle to find venues where we can meet on commercial terms," he said. "This place was perfect for us. Places like this where we can mix with other communities, with people learning dancing, martial arts, whatever it is—we have the opportunity to mix and get to know each other. That is very important."
Lisa Trickett sees the project as a model for Birmingham's future. "What we do in Birmingham too often is we focus on the future and not the right now," she explained. "We risk losing our young people to London if we don't find a way to create the ecosystem to grow their talent here." The centre may potentially serve as an incubation site for new young businesses, with numerous organizations approaching with ideas for pop-up events, rehearsal spaces for musicians, and youth club activities.
The community centre, located just off Kings Heath High Street, features a sports and events hall, two small function rooms, offices, a foyer, kitchen, garden, and small car park. With bookings already increasing and more groups expressing interest in hosting activities, the cooperative model appears poised to transform what was once a financial liability into a thriving community hub that truly reflects the diversity and passion of Kings Heath residents.
