Avonmouth Community Centre Association: A place for everyone

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Avonmouth Community Centre Association is a bustling community space in the heart of Avonmouth village. Its ambition is to champion Avonmouth as a great place to live and give a voice to residents. They want all Avonmouth residents to enjoy a high quality of life and be a part of a strong, prosperous, and caring community.

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Avonmouth has a long history; it’s home to the Port of Bristol and Avonmouth Docks. Much of the land use is industrial, including warehousing, light industry, electrical power, and sanitation. Amidst all the industrial and maritime activity, you’ll find a small village community with a warm, welcoming, friendly, and accessible community centre for everyone. Whatever age or stage you are in life, Avonmouth Community Centre believes that together is better for addressing isolation, health, food poverty, housing, and transport.

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When you arrive at Avonmouth Community Centre, you’re welcomed in by a prominent sign saying, “The Warm Welcome Entrance,” and when you step inside the beautiful Victorian building, you immediately feel at home. Knitted animals are dotted around, and the walls are covered in beautiful art, including a gorgeous collection of natural history photos and artwork celebrating Avonmouth’s rich wildlife. When we visited, children were screaming with delight, enjoying an indoor bouncy castle.

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The community centre’s small team is passionate about community cohesion and making sure that everyone feels welcomed. The centre is run by CEO Rachel, with five paid staff and three volunteers. Sammi, one of the team who has worked there for three years, shared her passion and affection for the community centre, saying, “I can’t imagine being anywhere else now.”

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They support a diverse community, including people that have lived in Avonmouth all their lives, children, young people, and families. Work opportunities have attracted people from all over the globe, including a large Nigerian population and Romanian and Polish people. They make sure everyone can get involved, and there’s a regular English-as-a-second-language course for anyone that needs it.

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“We’re here for everyone,” says Sammi. We have a regular daily visit from a homeless man. He likes to come in to refill his water bottle, charge his phone, grab a cuppa, and enjoy sitting quietly and watching the world go by.” Sammi talked about one woman who had recently joined the space. She lives alone, close by the community centre, and could hear the activity from her garden. She didn’t realise that the space is there for everyone. Now, she feels connected and part of the community.

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There’s something for everyone, from the regular Supertots for children and families run by the family worker Sarah, the Oasis Club for young people, knitting and crochet groups, art activities, gardening and nature projects, ping-pong, basketball, sing-alongs, and a weekly digital club, helping people get online and learn new skills. Some people just want to come along and use the space to work or study. Avonmouth Community Centre is also home to a library run by Bristol City Council, and alongside enjoying the books, they offer a regular Lego session on Saturday mornings.

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Like most Warm Welcome Spaces, food and hot drinks bring people together. Community Development Worker Mike runs the kitchen and café, offering guests a cuppa and delicious food. The kitchen’s open five days a week, and on Fridays Mike runs “Let’s Cook with Mike”—designed to encourage guests to get involved and learn new skills. People of all ages love the sessions.

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Nature is a big part of the Avonmouth Community Centre. Luke, Gardening Development and Wellbeing Worker, has created a beautiful garden space with planters for growing produce and flowers. There’s a colourful badge installation on the garden wall, with hundreds of badges decorated by the community. The centre is also working in partnership with Edible Bristol and Great Western Railway on reclaiming a special nature space called the Secret Garden. The Secret Garden is tucked in by Avonmouth’s train station, a stone’s throw from the community centre. Some of the garden produce comes back to the community centre, so everyone can enjoy it.

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Avonmouth Community Centre is brimming with new ideas and innovations to engage and support guests. They offer help with housing, benefits, transport, getting online, and the local Citizen’s Advice Bureau runs regular sessions from the centre. They have also developed an excellent Wellbeing Map, signposting guests to everything the local community has to offer, including health services, sports facilities, or even visiting the local Lamplighter’s Nature Reserve.

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