Sumac Centre

The Sumac Centre is an independent community and social centre in Nottingham, UK. It is a secondary co-operative and a member of Radical Routes.[1] It provides resources, meeting spaces and workshops for groups and individuals. It supports campaigning for human rights, animal rights, the environment, peace and co-operation world-wide. It is part of the UK Social Centre Network. Veggies is based at the centre.

The centre is being bought via a mortgage. It receives no regular funding, the core groups each pay rent that goes toward the mortgage and running costs. Some of the groups are run by volunteers.

Its origins can to traced to the Rainbow Centre, which was established in 1984.[2]

History

Origins

The Sumac Centre

In April 1984,[2] a group of people based in Nottingham associated with the Environmental Fact Shop, Friends of the Earth (FoE) and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) founded the Rainbow Centre Co-operative. The following year in September the co-operative rented premises at 180 Mansfield Road,[2] next door to the new FoE shop Earthwise. It was situated between the Victoria Shopping Centre and Forest Recreation Ground, on the junction with Huntingdon Street. The Rainbow Centre became an autonomous entity, free to expand its activities.

In 1988, the FoE shop next door to the Rainbow Centre closed. The Rainbow Centre inherited some of the FoE literature and stock, which was added to the centre's library and shop. Veggies moved in to the closed shop. They had started out by working from their members' homes, moving in meant they had their own kitchen. Veggies and the Rainbow Centre worked together, later Veggies took on the day-to-day running of the Rainbow Centre.[2]

In 1989, as the lease for the next door premises at Mansfield Road became available, the Rainbow Centre expanded its library, and once again opened a shop.

Volunteers fit new windows

Move to new building

The Rainbow Centre was in a row of buildings that was very poorly maintained by the landlord. The rent and building condition were a drain on the collectives finances and enthusiasm. To resolve these problems, in Autumn 2000, the members of the Rainbow Centre and Veggies began to researching the possibility of buying a building of their own. In June 2001 they purchased, via a mortgage, a former Ukrainian Social Club in the Forest Fields, Nottingham.[3] A year later, in June 2002, the renovation of the building was complete and the centre, having adopted the new name and identity of the Sumac Centre, was opened.

2003 to present

The Sumac Centre was one of the many organisations that undercover police offer Mark Kennedy infiltrated, starting in 2003.[4][5]

The NG7 Foodbank was based at the centre from mid 2012 until it closed at end of 2014. It closed partly due to the bank feeling that the council were using foodbanks as a long term strategy to avoid providing funds for welfare assistance.[6]

User groups

  • Art Space
  • Community Circle
  • Forest Fields Social Club
  • People's Kitchen
  • Punk 4 The Homeless
  • NG7 Women Together
  • Sumac Sewing Club
  • Sumac Youth Club (SYC)
  • Veggies

References

  1. ↑ "Trading Coops". Radical Routes. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Watcher. "Rainbow Centre 25th Anniversary". Nottingham Indymedia. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  3. ↑ "THE GREAT ESCAPE". SchNews. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  4. ↑ GRAHAM, CAROLINE. "'I'm the victim of smears': Undercover policeman denies bedding a string of women during his eight years with eco-warriors". Daily Mail. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  5. ↑ "Undercover: The True Story of Britain's Secret Police". LeftLion. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  6. ↑ Britton, Alexander. "Food bank blames city council for closure". Nottingham Post. Retrieved 8 May 2015.

External links

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