Staff 'upset' after Marcus Garvey centre closes

Ehimare Ojobo said events have been cancelled and the closure was impacting the community

Staff at a centre that has been at the heart of their community for more than 40 years say they are disappointed and upset at its closure.

Nottingham City Council ordered the Marcus Garvey centre to close at the end of December - with no reopening date - over safety concerns about the fire doors, despite staff wanting to help with the repairs.

In a document, seen by the BBC, the council is looking at possible options for the centre's future, including remediation works or the potential sale of the Grade II-listed building.

The city council said it would work with tenants and businesses to "minimise" disruption following the closure in December, but has not commented on the document.

The Black Community Action Group has started an online petition to save the centre and transfer ownership to the community.

The centre is based in the Howitt Building at the Lenton Business Centre (LBC) and has been a core part of Nottingham's Afro-Caribbean community for more than 40 years.

The Day Centre being closed is impacting the elderly community

It provides day care services for the elderly, and its 600-person capacity ballroom hosts music and events.

The LBC is also home to about 70 businesses that are separate from the Marcus Garvey centre.

At the end of January, the businesses were given 28 days notice to vacate the site, but the centre remains closed with no updates from the council about when it will reopen.

Tyron Brown, who runs the centre, told the BBC they have been forced to turn down lots of requests from the local community since the closure.

He said: "What is happening is very disappointing for us.

"One of the main services we offer is funerals, which would usually cost people thousands of pounds, but we can do it for much less.

"Whilst the centre is closed, we are depriving people of that."

The centre during an event in March 2023

Ehimare Ojobo, 35, is the premises supervisor at the Marcus Garvey Ballroom.

He said: "Since it's been closed, we have had to cancel events and can't develop new events for the black community.

"You can amplify cultural music and events here in a way that you wouldn't be able to at more mainstream venues.

"The longer it is closed, the longer it will have a lasting impact on the community."

Mr Ojobo added that he wants to make repairs to the fire doors on-site, but the council has advised him and the team against it.

"We want to cooperate with the [council] and contribute to making the venue safe, but they are telling us not to do that. So what is going on?"

Valerie Robinson has been actively involved with the centre for over 30 years

Valerie Robinson, 65, known as "Lady V", has been an active volunteer there for more than 30 years.

She came to the UK from Jamaica in 1966, and said the building was one of the "first community spaces of its kind" when it opened in the 1980s.

The 65-year-old said: "The Day Care service is so important for our elders from the Windrush generation - this is a place where they can socialise and have hot Caribbean food

"This isn't just a community centre - this place is a part of Nottingham's black history and culture," she added.

A spokesperson for Nottingham City Council said: "Following a recent review of the fire risk assessment at Lenton Business Centre, we have had to make the difficult but necessary decision to close the Howitt and Lenton Business Centre 1 buildings.

"We fully understand the impact this will have, and we want to assure tenants that this decision has not been taken lightly.

"Any work required could have significant cost implications. The council has limited resources and has to prioritise funding for statutory services."