Nottingham Centre Closure: Community Fears Loss of Safe, Cultural Space

The Marcus Garvey Centre is very important to Nottingham’s Afro-Caribbean people. Leaders fear its closure will hurt the community deeply. Since 1981, it has been a safe hub where people celebrate their heritage. It also has a daycare that supports the Windrush generation, and it provides youth services.

The center’s services are now at risk due to issues with fire doors that were identified by the council. Businesses received a 28-day eviction notice, and the council might sell the building. Repairs could cost about £300,000, leaving groups unsure about the future. Leaders caution that the community will have nowhere else to go.

Auvil Graham emphasizes that there truly no other adequate places like it, given the center hosts many funerals too. He hopes the council understands the impact, emphasizing that thousands of people have signed a petition to save it, reflecting support across the city. He recalls it previously serving as Raleigh’s head office, where many Windrush people worked.

Graham remembers going there as a child, and his parents mixed with the Windrush generation there. It was a safe space for everyone, yet other places don’t have the same appeal. Black people faced racism long ago and felt safe at the Marcus Garvey Centre, as it welcomed all backgrounds.

The Howitt Building, now the Lenton Business Centre, is also affected by the closure. The council manages the building’s site, and several businesses are currently operating there. The 28-day eviction notice commenced on January 27.

Clive Foster contends that closing the center would mean the City loses an integral part of its culture and black history. He notes that Windrush pioneers, who helped build Nottingham and the UK, inspired it. They created a social space with the council which served the Afro-Caribbean community well.

Foster explains that the center allowed the community to discuss key issues. It is about more than just the building itself, as it signifies heritage and a place to connect, adding that few spaces like this remain. He laments that community centers overall are shrinking, stressing the devastating impact losing the center would have and suggesting the exploration of other options.

Foster stated there are no true alternatives, and so the council must talk more extensively with the community. He says that the center in particular offers vital safe spaces for older black people. Foster continues by saying that losing the daycare would also be a tragedy, and moreover, Young people require places that meet their cultural needs. He understands that the council is currently under pressure.

Foster acknowledges that the community has supported the council for years, and that the centers are part of that history. He wishes that they had consulted the Black community beforehand and urges everyone to help save the center. He ends with the statement that the black community is here to stay, and the council needs to know this fact.

A council spokesperson maintains that they understand the impact, and they want to prioritize safety above all else. Businesses must leave until survey work is complete. The Council says it’s fully committed to working with affected businesses in order to reduce any disruption as much as possible. Additionally, they will inform tenants about survey results and future decisions. The council ends by saying that work on the buildings could cost a lot, while pointing out the limits of funds and how they must focus on services.