Future of Black Cultural Centre confirmed on one-year anniversary

A year ago today (Thursday, 6 November), Islington Council opened its Black Cultural Centre as a safe space for residents from Black African and Caribbean heritage to come together. 

Since then, approximately 3,400 people have utilised a range of services offered by the centre, across dozens of sessions including community cooking, education, and employment support.

Now, it can be announced that work is underway to secure a provider to run the centre on behalf of the council for a year from April 2026, to ensure that it continues to provide culturally-competent, empowering services for local people.

The council has invited applications from the local community to take over the centre from next April, and will announce next steps soon.

Cllr Sheila Chapman, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Equalities and Inclusion, said: “Here in Islington, we believe our diversity is our strength, and our Black Cultural Centre underlines how we’re celebrating the contributions made by all our borough’s communities.

“It’s hard to overstate the impact that the Black Cultural Centre has made since its opening last year. The centre has acted as a space for empowerment, creativity, and belonging, and residents from across our borough have been able to enjoy the vast range of services on offer.

“As we look ahead, we’re excited to welcome a new provider to take the reins from April 2026. This next chapter will build on the strong foundations laid over the past year, ensuring the Black Cultural Centre continues to thrive.”

During its first year, four different organisations have been based at the Black Cultural Centre for periods of three-months at a time, including:

• Black History Studies, run by husband-and-wife team Mark and Charmaine Simpson to inspire and inform residents about Black History.
• Carib Eats, who offered community canteens and supper clubs, as well as entrepreneurship workshops.
• Go Africa, who ran business hubs for aspiring entrepreneurs and market traders, as well as culturally competent healthcare sessions.
• The latest residents, Sapphire, who offer services including employment training and mentoring, mental health and wellbeing support, and a digital platform for people of colour to access services, funding, and networks.

Between now and April 2026, all four of these groups will be returning to the Black Cultural Centre for one-month stints, starting with Sapphire.