A community organisation is set to take over the running of Leicester’s African Caribbean Centre from the city council.
The council has agreed a five-year deal to lease the property, in Maidstone Lane, Highfields, to the the African Heritage Alliance (AHA) for a £1 annual peppercorn rent.
It said local people were often best placed to run facilities in their areas and other centres had already transferred to community groups.
The AHA has been contacted for comment.
The council said the AHA would be given the lease after an open bidding process and the submission of a business plan.
It said the group set out its proposals for expanding the range of community services provided at the centre, including new social activities and childcare services, and showed how it would meet the needs of the local African and Caribbean heritage community through education, support and welfare services.
‘Positive step’
The AHA will be responsible for repairs, maintenance and day-to-day running costs for the building but will get a £60,000 grant to support it in the first year of the lease.
City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: “Local facilities are often best run by the people who use them and, over the years, a number of centres have already successfully transferred to community groups.”
He said the results of a consultation in 2021 showed there was local support for a community group to take over the running of the building.
The mayor added: “I hope this decision will be a positive step for the whole community.
“The AHA have produced a business plan that demonstrates they have the capacity, experience and resources to take on the running of the African Caribbean Centre.
“I look forward to the implementation of this plan, which will bring benefits to the community while making a significant contribution to the social and economic wellbeing of the area.”
