KEYS TO SUCCESS: Delighted directors (from left) Junior Hemans, Cllr Sandra Samuels, Karl Samuels, Alicia Spence and Bishop Llewellyn Graham
A FORMER Wolverhampton Conservative club where controversial Tory MP Enoch Powell was once a member has been bought up by the directors of an African Caribbean group to become a new centre for the community.
Directors of the Cultural Resource Centre (CRC) have used their own finances to buy the former Whitmore Reans club in Clifford Street, which they will call The Heritage Centre.
Being handed the keys to the building was both a poignant and historic moment for CRC directors. The group’s original building in Clarence Street was bulldozed by Wolverhampton City Council earlier this year following its closure in 2005 when the tenant community group became insolvent.
It led to a series of protests outside Wolverhampton Civic Centre in August after members of the black community claimed they were being treated with disdain.
“This has ended a seven-year search for a new community building,” said CRC chair Junior Hemans. “But we never thought we would end up buying something once used by Enoch Powell. We like to think he might have penned his ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech in this very building. I’m sure he certainly discussed it here with fellow Conservatives.
“By calling it The Heritage Centre we want this to be a legacy and our aim is for the community to buy it back from us and eventually own it as a community asset for future generations in years to come,
“I think what we have done here is an example to other communities nationally of what can be achieved if you all work together.”
Fellow CRC director Alicia Spence, who is also director of the African Caribbean Community Initiative, said: “The black community buying this particular building has been very emotional for some of our elders who remember the time 40 years ago when they were not allowed over its threshold. Some would even cross the street away from it because they knew they were not welcome.”
Other directors include Wolverhampton Labour City Councillor Sandra Samuels, Bishop Llewellyn Graham of the Church of God of Prophecy, freelance consultant Sam Duru and Earl Laird, director of health, tourism and hairdressing at WolverhamptonCityCollege.
The centre’s newly appointed manager Karl Samuels added: “Our directors are prepared to take the initial risk of buying the building to prove to the community that this is a viable enterprise.”
To buy the building, the directors formed a separate organisation called Ujamaa, which is Swahili for ‘co-operative economics.’
Hemans added: “Lloyds Bank have been very supportive and accepted our business plan once they were satisfied with our projections.”
Since their original building closed in 2005, the community has raised funds for a new base which currently stand at £30,000. This remains untouched and is not affected by the purchase of the new base.
“We already have two dates in the diary for later this month, so we’re busy making the building ready,” added Hemans.
Leaflets have also been printed explaining the many uses for the new base which will include conferences, weddings, funerals and community events, along with basketball, boxing, karate and fitness classes.
The two-storey club includes two function rooms, which can each accommodate up to 150 people, and a lounge bar, which will be open daily. Capital funding has been applied for to build a new kitchen.
Hemans said: “This is a very exciting time for us all, but we are still in discussion with the city council over resources for the black community which we hope will have a positive outcome.”
