Community news
Love your local community centre
Love your local community centre
When was the last time you visited your local community centre? Community centres play an important role in the lives of local people, providing a safe and friendly environment to connect in your neighbourhood. They offer the opportunity to learn new skills, take part in free and low-cost activities, access key services and much more. From fitness classes and venue hire to social events and after clubs, community centres truly are the heart of the community.
Here’s a reminder some of the fantastic centres in the Royal Docks and a snippet of what’s on offer:
Beckton Community Centre
The new look Beckton Community Centre is impressive! It’s been transformed following a recent £1.4m refurbishment from Newham Council. The much-loved centre has been completely renovated and now features several green energy solutions ranging from LED lighting, air source heat pumps, roof insulation, double-glazed windows, and more. Accessibility has also been improved with better lighting, easier access to the building for those with reduced mobility, hearing loops and improvements to bathrooms. The centre also offers room and hall hire complete with a commercial kitchen, a weekly timetable of community events and even a kiln for pottery classes.
Beckton Community Centre, 14 East Ham Manor Way, Beckton, London, E6 5NG
www.newham.gov.uk/homepage/119/beckton-community-centre
West Silvertown Foundation – Britannia Village
Located in Silvertown, Britannia Village Hall offers a varied and growing range of activities for all ages. Activities include pasta making, roller skating, DJ workshops, salsa and Community Food Pantry, English classes and much more. Check out the current timetable or pop in to find out more.
Have an idea for a new activity? The team would love to hear from you! Email hello@wsfroyaldocks.org
Britannia Village Hall, 65 Evelyn Rd, London, E16 1TU
Shipman Youth Zone
Shipman Youth Zone is much more than a youth centre, following into a £8 million investment it has been transformed and now also operates as a family hub for the wider community.
The state-of-the art venue boasts a music studio, multimedia suite, custom-built sports hall, dance studio and an IT suite. Sessions include a dedicated play club for young people aged 8-19 with Autism, held every Saturday during term time, 10am - 1pm and 2pm - 4.30pm.
Younger children aged one - three can enjoy free Storytelling and Rhythm sessions on every Monday during term time, 10am – 11am led by the lovely team from Edith Kerrison Children’s Centre. These engaging sessions which require no booking include interactive storytelling, singing, hands on building activities and free play.
Shipman Youth Zone, 340 Prince Regent Lane, London, E16 3JH
Tate Institute
Once a thriving social hub for the people of Silvertown, Tate Institute was built by Henry Tate in 1887 for his sugar factory workers. Left empty for decades, the derelict building fell into disrepair with leaking roofs and various other issues until in the early 2000s it sadly closed its doors. However following Newham Council funding, it’s now on the road to restoration and repair led by ReSpace, a social enterprise that takes beloved derelict buildings and brings them back to life for use by local people.
Working with the local community, ReSpace aim to revive Tate Institute as an arts hub with an enterprise hub, workshops and event spaces, creative studios and a community garden. The ongoing restorations is reusing wasted resources, second-hand furniture, leftover building materials from housing developers. So far, the community garden hosts community events, and the schedule is gearing up over the summer for an exciting launch later this year. To stay up to date follow Respace on Instagram.
To get involved with fun volunteering tasks like painting, repairs, and gardening email Elena at elena@reinstate.info Curious about the building? Request a group hard hat tour by emailing Gee at gee@respaceprojects.org
Tate Institute, Wythes Rd, Silvertown, London, E16 2DN
Royal Wharf Community Dock
Located in the heart of the Royal Wharf, just a five-minute walk from West Silvertown and Pontoon Dock DLR Stations, Royal Wharf Community Dock is a bright modern space dedicated to bringing together the neighbourhood. The ground floor, accessible building has large main area and two meeting rooms. The centre offers a busy timetable of activities, including kids' drama, soft play sessions, kickboxing, family craft time, ballet lessons and adult yoga.
Visitors are welcome to pop in when classes are not running to simply enjoy the space. Relax with a cuppa, play a game at the table tennis table or enjoy some quiet reading time reading with the family. Spaces are also available for hire for parties or other activities, with a discounted rate for Royal Wharf residents.
Royal Wharf Community Dock, 2 John Harrison Square, Royal Wharf, London E16 2ZA
St John’s Community Centre
Located in North Woolwich, St John’s Community Centre promotes diversity with community groups, workshops and activities which bring together people from different generations, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. The team also work to make the Royal Docks a stronger, healthier and happier place to live for all with a focus on the environment and improving biodiversity. Pop in to say hello and find out what’s on.
St John’s Community Centre, Albert Rd, London E16 2JB
St Mark’s Community Centre
St Mark’s Community Centre is a vibrant hub located on Tollgate Road in Beckton serving as both a community centre and church. It hosts a Church of England service on Sundays 9.45am - 11.15am followed by a Roman Catholic service 12pm - 1pm. The centre features a sports hall, a function room that accommodates up to 100 people, meeting rooms, a boardroom and office space all available for hire.
St Mark’s Community Centre is also home to several community groups, charities and small businesses including Newham Chinese Association, Little Dance Studios and Newham Food Bank which provides emergency food for local people in need.
Childcare is totally covered with Little Amber Nursery providing care for children aged 1 to 5 years and Set the Vibe which runs an after-school club with local school pick-ups, home drop offs plus school holiday clubs.
St Mark’s Community Centre, Unit 3, 218 Tollgate Rd, London E6 5YA
Local libraries
The Royal Docks boasts four amazing libraries - Beckton Globe Library, Canning Town Library, Custom House Library and North Woolwich Library. Some of which also function as community centres. They offer a range of services and activities beyond borrowing books, including events, activities, and room hire. Visit the Newham libraries website to find out more about the various facilities and community activities on offer for all ages, including parent and toddler sessions, youth clubs, film screenings, book clubs, arts and craft sessions exercise classes and much more.
Newham libraries also offer a range of online learning tools, including Driving Theory Test practice, language learning resources and British Citizenship test practice. Book a PC to use for any of these tools or for anything else you need to do online.
Beckton Library, 1 Kingsford Way, Beckton, London, E6 5JQ
Canning Town Library, 18 Rathbone Market, Barking Road, Canning Town, London, E16 4HA
Custom House Library, Prince Regent Lane, Custom House, London, E16 3JJ
North Woolwich Library, 5 Pier Parade, North Woolwich, London, E16 2LJ
Discover more community spaces in the Royal Docks
We've created an interactive Communities, Places and Spaces Google Map showcasing all the voluntary and community organisations and facilities across the Royal Dock. You can also find more local spaces using the Royal Docks Community Engagement Toolkit.
