Cheylesmore Community Association was launched on Saturday 8th May 1948 to manage Cheylesmore Community Centre (the only surviving Coventry War Hostel). The organization became a charity in 1965. It was re-formed as a charitable company in 2010. The city council granted the company a 50-year lease in 2012. In addition to being used as an administration and hostel during World War 2, it was used as a school and a church before local schools and Quinton Baptist Church were built.
Having undergone a big transformation, Cheylesmore Community Centre is now a popular space for recreation, socialization, and educational activities. In addition to Cheylesmore Community Library, which is entirely volunteer-run in Coventry, our community is also home to the first community-led library in the city. We have also opened in 2021 our exciting Coffee Shop C3 within the building! With all profits going towards enhancing the centre and community projects, you know that when you buy a coffee here that you are investing in your local community.
Additionally, the Cheylesmore Community Centre offers a unique opportunity for artists, event planners, and local businesses to host memorable events. We offer over ten versatile spaces along with free Wi-Fi and free parking. Our dedicated team at Cheylesmore Community Centre will ensure you receive attentive service.
Cheylesmore Community Association manages the Cheylesmore Community Centre, whose purpose is to:
- Be a venue for local residents’ activities ~ not running activities in the Centre ourselves as an Association, but providing the facilities in which other community groups can operate.
- Facilitate local groups to meet community needs ~ helping with community capacity building so that groups can better meet local needs, especially where gaps in provision are identified. This has begun to happen from 2017 with the Community Library, Youth Club in 2019 and C3 Coffee in 2021.
- Support volunteering ~ mobilising individual residents to engage with activities going on, both running the centre itself and supporting those activities taking place.
