Two Huddersfield buildings could soon be getting a new lease of life, with Kirklees Council set to transfer them to the community next week.
The HUDAWI Centre at Great Northern Street and DRAM Centre at Ridgeway in Dalton were declared surplus to the council’s requirements back in November 2023. A Cabinet report says the sites have been primarily used to support council services,, with the community also able to make bookings.
Rather than selling the properties off, the council agreed to explore Community Asset Transfers for each of the sites, with these on the brink of approval. This will see two community organisations taking on full responsibility for the management, repair, and maintenance of the properties and giving them a new use.
The HUDAWI Centre has been valued at £322,000, while the DRAM Centre’s market value stands at around £290,000. However, the local authority says the community benefits somewhat mitigate the loss of a potential source of income. It is planning to grant each organisation a 125 year lease.
HUDAWI Centre
If all goes to plan, the HUDAWI Centre will be taken on by the Black Business Support Agency which is working in partnership with the HUDAWI Consortium. The agency – a Community Interest Company – will initially take on the lease. The lease will later be reassigned to the consortium once it is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.
A council report says the consortium’s aim is to safeguard and transform the Hudawi Centre into a thriving, self-sustaining hub that provides a range of cultural, educational, economic, and social opportunities for Huddersfield’s diverse communities. A focus will be placed on honouring the centre’s role as the spiritual home of the African and Caribbean community.
The consortium was formed in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests and during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is currently made up of the following organisations:
- BBSA (Black Business Support Agency) CIC
- Jamaican National Council Huddersfield
- Building African Caribbean Communities (BACC)
- Unison Black Workers
- Oasis Care Support Services
- Education 2000
- The Hudawi Centre Association of Churches
- CSR Host Consulting
A spokesperson said previously: “Our collective skills and experience will now be directed toward developing a vibrant and inclusive community hub that will meet the cultural, educational, and social needs of the community.”
DRAM Centre
The DRAM Centre consists of a sports pavilion building, pitches, a multi-use games area and a large car park. This site is expected to be transferred to the Moldgreen Amateur Rugby League Football Club (DRAM Holdings) Community Interest Company (CIC).
The rugby club, which has been in existence for more than 60 years, currently operates out of the DRAM Centre and provides opportunities for the local community to participate in sports, fitness, educational and social activities.
Through the CAT, the site will be maintained and managed for use by the local community. It will promote community engagement and volunteering, provide educational resources, foster youth development, enhance health and wellbeing and strengthen community networks.
The CIC plans to extend the community offer available at the centre to include the following activities/services:
- A drop-in centre to offer a safe/warm space for vulnerable groups
- Youth clubs
- Educational workshops and training courses
- A weekend café
- Social and community events such as craft fairs, seasonal events and parties, skills camps, school holiday camps
The CIC also wants the rugby club to continue to use the centre. The rugby club plans to expand its rugby offer to further age groups and introduce female rugby from juniors to open age. It intends to work with the Rugby Football League to become a Community Wellbeing Hub.
