Campaign launched to help Liverpool community centre that’s shaped the lives of generations

A campaign is being launched to help a youth and community centre which has shaped the lives of generations of Scousers.

The Bronte, just off Brownlow Hill, has been a hub for the community and especially young people since the 1960s, offering a range of sports and arts activities and playschemes as well as a much-needed meeting place.

The original building, next to the long-since demolished Gerard Gardens, was in desperate need of renovation and an interior update.

As the only community centre in the city centre, and in one of the most deprived of the country, The Bronte managed to secure £3million from the Youth Investment Fund Grant to start work on its ‘Big Build’ transformation.

A contractor came on site last November but spiralling building costs mean they are now aiming to raise a further £750,000. That money will go towards fitting out the first floor, creating rentable office space to help make the centre self-sufficient.

The spaces will bring in a regular monthly income to subsidise youth and community services.

The appeal, launching online on Monday January 27, has already attracted support from many famous Liverpool names including Jamie Carragher, Tony Bellew, Cream founder James Barton and DJ Lee Butler.

“It’s really important that we don’t scale back our plans,” explains Beth Stewart from The Bronte. “We want to build a better Bronte – one that’s ambitious, environmentally sustainable and economically self-sufficient, so it can stand on its own two feet. 

“We want The Bronte to enhance the lives of everyone who comes here, and not only those who live in our area but from the wider city. 

“Because we’re in such a prime location in the city centre we want kids who travel in to hang around with their friends in town to have a safe space where they can be with their friends as well.”

The structure of The Bronte building will essentially remain the same, but the interior has been completely gutted and redesigned by a Liverpool architects, allowing a sustainable new version to be created.

“We’ve got all the ground floor youth facilities covered so we’re fundraising for our whole first floor fit-out,” explains Beth.

“As well as the rentable office spaces, we want to get a commercial kitchen put in so we can host nutritional workshops and generate income by providing professional catering services for conferences, events and parties.

“The garden, which isn’t in use at the moment, is going to be renovated and we plan to link that into the kitchen, to have community gardening sessions where people can come in and grow fruit and veg and then be able to cook with them.”

Another major part of the plans centres on The Bronte’s seven-a-side football pitch. That dates back around 20 years and needs upgrading

“The pitch isn’t fit for purpose now and we want to renovate that and bring it back to life because there’s nothing else like it in the city centre,” adds Beth.

“All of the young people who currently attend our youth centre are very sporty and into football so having this will benefit them massively and hopefully it’ll bring new kids in as well, and we can start leagues for them and summer camps.”

With the first phase scheduled to be complete this spring, centre manager Laura Cain has described the Big Build as “the stuff of dreams” for The Bronte and the community. 

Those who go there, currently and in the past, agree that it’s a very special place which deserves a bright future.

“I think a lot of people’s lives would be completely different without The Bronte,” says Beth.

“We’ve spoken to lots of past members who’ve said The Bronte put them on a path they would never have expected. The staff here have helped them in their careers and they’d been completely different people if it wasn’t for that, so it’s really shaped their lives.”

You can donate to The Bronte on JustGiving here.

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