Black and Minority Ethnic Community Partnership (BMECP)

Community Training and Resource Centre (CTARC)

The purpose of this project is to create a Community Training and Resource Centre (CTARC) that will be focused on meeting the needs of Black and minority ethnic (BME) communities in the Brighton and Hove area. This project has been developed over the last nine years and the principal organisation driving it forward is the Black and Minority Ethnic Community Partnership (BMECP).

BMECP has acquired a 160 year lease on two floors of a flagship building built as part of the New England Quarter development on the Brighton Station site. The building has a gross internal floor area of 4,908 sq ft on the lower ground floor, and 4,650 sq ft on the ground floor. Both floors were finished to a basic shell and core.

 

The completed building will be able to support a broad range of activities that are primarily designed to enable the black and minority ethnic (BME) communities of Brighton and Hove to participate fully in the economic and social life of the city, although all community led organisations whose aims and objectives are compatible with BMECP will be welcome to make use of its facilities. At least 66% of the available floor space will be given over to activities that support job-related training and enterprise development.

 

It is an integral feature of the proposed Centre that it should be operated by BMECP, in tandem with a partnership of statutory and voluntary sector organisations that indicate the willingness and commitment to address the critical needs of the BME and wider communities of Brighton & Hove. BMECP has a good track record of working collaboratively in meeting the needs of BME communities and as part of the development of its plans, BMECP has been building a network of partners for provision of services at the proposed Centre, and will continue this work during the development phase of the building.

 

BMECP have already received significant financial support from SEEDA, the South East of England Development Agency, who have purchased the 160 year lease on BMECP’s behalf. BMECP have also secured some funding from Adventure Capital Fund needed for fitting the building out. This amount is broken down 50% grant and 50% loan as well as a business development grant.