About SWCC
A bit of history
St Werburghs Community Association was established all the way back in 1971, when it was set up to help co-manage the community centre. Fast forward to 1999, and this is when we took over management of the Centre from Bristol City Council, becoming both a Registered Charity and also a Company Limited by Guarantee.
In 2010 we completed our ambitious £1m Capital Project, commandeered by our sadly missed Centre Director, Linda Bell. This project transformed what was a dilapidated Victorian school building into a modern, welcoming community hub. Completely derelict outbuildings were knocked down and replaced with our energy-efficient annexe, created 200m2 of brand-new space for our visitors and member groups. Since 2009 our membership increased from 90 to over 200 groups which use the Centre regularly, for community events, art activities, support group meetings, training sessions, classes and parties.
Our visitors and Members
Our Centre gets very busy. In fact, each year we welcome over 80,000 individual visits through our doors. We’re a membership organisation, offering local community groups and individuals, subsidised room hire and services, and each year over 200 Members Groups use our Centre. Amongst them there are many class teachers who deliver a wide range of activities open to all – from Yoga to Martial Arts, various Support Groups and Art groups as well as Afterschool Clubs and Language classes. We also host all faith groups from Muslim, Christian to Buddhist. Family and cultural celebrations keep us busy at weekends and we offer our venue for fundraising events at affordable rates.
We are proud to say we’ve managed to get a few awards along the way. In 2010, we achieved the Visible CommunitiesTM full quality standard, in 2013 we were proud winners of Voscur’s first Community Venue of the Year Award and in 2016, we were awarded Silver in the Green Tourism Accreditation.
How we are run
We are managed by a Board of Trustees who form St Werburghs Community Association. They are all members of the local communities, mostly living locally or have a direct connection to a Member group; each with different knowledge and experience. Their role is to make sure we meet our charitable objectives, respond to local need and fulfil legal obligations as a company. The Centre management and operational teams, led by the Centre Director, ensure that all services offered are both affordable and accessible for the local community, supporting them and actively improving their wellbeing.
Our strong values run throughout everything we do, from our projects to our events and activities, through signposting people to services delivered by us or by our Member groups. St Werburghs Community Association prides itself in being one of the most inclusive organisations in the city. We are not political, or religious, we remain completely open, welcoming and respectful to all of our visitors. The Community Centre is used by people of all faiths, cultures, ethnic backgrounds, abilities, ages, and from all walks of life.
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