We are a community hub located in the heart of Long Ashton, created to serve the diverse needs of the village, and to facilitate and promote education, recreation and leisure. As a registered charity, all of our profits are plunged straight back in to the community centre, in order to enable us to continue serving the local village community. Our main aims are:
To provide a well-equipped, rigorously maintained and safe children’s play area, sports arena and public park for families to use free of charge To supply inexpensive, multi-purpose rooms suitable for use by a wide array of regular groups and one-off events, providing cheaper hire rates for village residents, charities and community groups working with young and/or vulnerable teenagers To aid and support our 40+ groups that regularly meet in the centre, in order to keep the community centre packed full of activities that can engage, educate and entertain our village residents, young to old. To run our own events throughout the year that are within walking distance of people’s homes, and which promote art, music, international culture, sustainability, and local food and drink producers. To provide high-quality, affordable and healthy food and drink in our LA Cafe, as well as creating a central hub and free meeting point for a variety of different community groups. To support and promote the best in ethical produce through our cafe and event purchasing, by using local suppliers, organic or high welfare animal produce, and providing healthy options for children and adults. To be constantly mindful of sustainability, and monitor our relevant green policies in order to cut down on energy consumption and waste as much as possible. Actions we have taken include the fixing of solar panels to our roof, the provision of recycling and food waste disposal for all of our users and having only one meat-containing dish on our cafe menu (with the rest being vegetarian or vegan). To provide guidance, support and information on the relevant services that are available to users, whether at the centre or in the rest of the village. This is achieved by working closely other organisations, for example the police and community support officer, the doctors surgery and other relevant health services, the Parish Council, Northleaze and Birdwell Primary schools, the library, the Long Ashton Co-op and many others. To create enjoyable and rewarding volunteering opportunities, where volunteers can learn new skills, make new friends, and give as little or as much time as they are able to. To create a safe, welcoming and non-discriminatory environment that is open to everyone no matter their background, and to have a wheelchair accessible events hall and cafe space, with full baby-changing facilities and highchairs.