St Pancras Community Centre

The Glass-House supported St. Pancras Community Association with an inspirational study tour to give them ideas for their community building. The St. Pancras community centre was due to be rebuilt as part of Camden Council’s Area Review. The group had a clear idea of the space they required and the services they wish to provided in their new building but lacked the design knowledge or ideas to put forward a detailed brief to the architects.

St Pancras Community Association has been in existence for 30 years and runs a diverse range of services for people of all ages in Camden. These services are organised from two community buildings in the borough and it is the St Pancras Community Centre that is the subject of this project. From this centre, the association run services for older people, a youth project, under 5’s centre, Citizen’s Advice Bureau, councillors’ services and music production projects.

The community centre was run down in places and the group previously applied for funds to refurbish it. The centre has a very good reputation for establishing and providing services and had reached the point where they had to turn down business because they could not accommodate new services. The layout of the building was such that although it was a very good space, it did not provide enough space for small meeting rooms. The users and staff at the centre were all keen for improvements to be made to the building, as they could not provide the standard and quantity of services they wished to its existing form.

The Glass-House became involved with the St Pancras Community Association through a recommendation from the Development Trust Association who was a partner on this project. The Glass-House attended initial meetings with the group and then organised an inspiring study tour of community buildings in London, involving members of the steering group and some of the young people who used the centre. This gave the group the chance to see some completed projects in action and speak to those involved about the fantastic opportunities provided by the new build, as well as some of the pitfalls and barriers they had faced.

The steering group for the St Pancras Community Centre project is made up of the centre Director, three board members, an external consultant who provides business advice, and the CEO of a local voluntary organisation. The group has also carried out wider consultation and plans to keep the current centre users involved in a variety of ways throughout the course of the project.

The group found the study tour very encouraging and came away with new design ideas, and an appreciation of the process that other community groups have been through with similar community building projects in partnership with councils.

Buildings

Rebuild

Inspiring Study Tour

New design ideas and an appreciation of the process that other community groups have gone through.