New state of the art community space opens at Earls Court

  • A disused former replacement homes suite has been completely renovated into a Community Hub providing up to 2,600 sq ft of new community space.
  • The Hub’s opening forms a key part of The Earls Court Development Company’s (ECDC) pledge to bring the site back into use for the community as soon as possible.
  • ECDC has employed a Centre Manager to oversee the day-to-day activities of the Hub, which will serve as the new home for community events, social gatherings, as well as meeting spaces.  
  • The Earls Court Development Company (ECDC) also held a community lunch to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

On 27 June, The Earls Court Development Company (ECDC) will be opening a new Community Hub on Aisgill Avenue, in the Gibbs Green Estate, West Kensington. Formerly the replacement homes suite of the previous owners of the development site, it has remained locked and unused for several years.  

The Hub is a flexible space designed to be run by and for residents. It will serve as the new home for the 10th Fulham Scouts, providing them with a dedicated base to grow in the heart of the community. The gardens have also been restored and are being looked after by Hammersmith Community Gardens Association, ensuring they are open for all to enjoy during the day.

ECDC is keen to hear from residents and groups about the activites and uses they would like to see at the Hub, to ensure the space appeals to people of all ages. Some of the ideas being explored range from exercise classes to gardening lessons, and homework club to support young people. The Hub will host meetings for community groups and businesses, while social spaces will make this a focal point for the community to come together, to see friends and family.

Designed as part of ECDC’s meanwhile uses programme to bring different parts of the site back to life, the Hub will be in its current location for a number of years. It is a long-lasting commitment to the local area and all its services will be transferred to a permanent building on the Earls Court development site.

Speaking about the opening of the Hub, Rob Heasman, CEO of ECDC, said:

“This building has remained locked and unused for far too long. The new Community Hub will provide a welcoming space for local residents and groups in the area that do a huge amount of valuable work in their community. It will offer classes and activities ranging from social groups, IT and business courses and educational services and delivers on our vision to bring the wonder back to Earls Court.”

The Community Hub Centre Manager, Gigi Yacoub, added:

The Community Hub is going to be an amazing asset for the community and will create numerous opportunities for local residents. We have already been inundated with ideas from the community on how they want the space to be used and we’re looking forward to seeing the diverse range of groups using the space.”

The day-to-day activities of the Community Hub will be overseen by Gigi Yacoub. If you have any enquiries or are interested in future classes or courses, please get in touch with her by email at:

Gigi.Yacoub@earlscourtdevco.com

The opening of the Community Hub is just one of the exciting things happening at Earls Court, with more events taking place throughout the year.

On 1st June ECDC held a community lunch to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Over 150 people of all ages attended the lunch, including representatives from local youth groups, charities, and care homes in the area. The lunch was held at The Prince, West Brompton, with a suitably British afternoon tea menu being served. 

Over the coming months, ECDC will be organising a series of interactive public events across the local area, sharing more detailed information about their emerging masterplan for Earls Court. Further details on this, and other upcoming events, will be released in due course.

 

Notes to Editor

For all media enquiries please contact London Communications Agency:

Jesse Peacock
jwp@londoncommunications.co.uk
07931 123 143

Avnesh Modhvadia
avm@londoncommunications.co.uk
07393413479

 

About The Earls Court Development Company

The Earls Court Development Company (ECDC) is an Earl’s Court based business, responsible for driving the regeneration of the former Earls Court Exhibition Centre site, covering around 40 acres, on behalf of the Earls Court Partnership – a joint venture between Delancey (on behalf of its client funds including the Dutch pension fund manager, APG) and Transport for London (TfL) that was formed in December 2019. The first decision we took after acquiring the site was to hand back the West Kensington and Gibbs Green housing estates - originally part of the previous owners’ masterplan - to Hammersmith & Fulham Council.

Regeneration of the Earls Court site

We have had thousands of conversations with residents, neighbours and local business about the future of the Earls Court site. In late 2021, we launched our latest phase of consultation, showcasing the priorities that will guide the regeneration of the site. This involved a series of in-person public events, webinars and masterplanning workshops with representatives of the local community, to ascertain their priorities for the emerging masterplan.

Over the coming months, more detailed plans will be shared with the public, showcased
at in-person and virtual events, alongside drop-ins at train stations and markets.

Further information about the consultation, and the latest materials, can be found here: https://theearlscourtdevelopmentcompany.com/the-site/the-vision-for-earls-court

Early delivery at Earls Court

ECDC’s site activation programme is central to the early delivery of our commitments both now and for the longer-term masterplan. We have succeeded in opening parts of the Earls Court site to the public for the first time in over a century.

Since acquiring the site in 2019, we have developed close ties with our neighbours, local businesses and the wider community. Investing in the future of the area forms a core principle of our vision for Earls Court. To date, we have done the following:

Homes at Empress Place: Refurbished and bought back into use properties along Empress Place, which were left derelict. During the height of the first national lockdown, these were provided as homes for key workers.

Earls Court Community Fund: Last year, we established a £180,000 a year community fund. In October, grants were awarded to nineteen local organisations, including Dads House, Finsborough Theatre, Barons Court Project, Family Friends, and the Earl’s Court Community Trust, to support their work with local communities, young people and those at risk or vulnerable. Applications have opened for this year’s round of funding.

Warwick Road Apron: Last summer, the ‘Pleasure Garden’ installation, designed by local artists Baker & Borowski, was showcased at Warwick Road Apron, as part of K+C Art Week. We are currently working with K+C Art Week to activate the space again this June, further details will be revealed soon.

London Wonderground: In collaboration with Underbelly, we launched London Wonderground last summer. In total, we welcomed over 114,000 people to the event, including the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak. We also created 120 temporary jobs and took 11 young people from the local area through the Underbelly Training Academy. Underbelly has returned to Earls Court this year. Launching earlier this month and running until July, the festival showcases world-class performances and live shows, as well as providing the local community the opportunity to showcase on the bandstand and in the studio – a new, 75-seater event space.

Empress Studios: Working in partnership with Projekt, we have converted six derelict Victorian townhouses into 8,500 sq. ft of workspace for creatives and innovators within Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington & Chelsea. Opening earlier this month, upwards of 30 new workspaces have been created, providing affordable studio and office space for the local arts and science industries.

Community Hub: We have refurbished the former replacement homes ensuite along Aisgill Avenue into a Community Hub. Due to open later this month, a dedicated manager will be based at the hub, with a range of activities and classes running throughout the week for people of all ages. We hope the space will become a focal point for the community to come together and meet with friends and family.

Lille Road: We have turned our part of Lille Road into an active high street, providing opportunities for small businesses at The Pop-Up and providing space for small businesses and charities.

Mannequin Factory: We are working on bringing immersive theatre alongside creative and cultural spaces to the former Mannequin Factory an empty building to the northwest of the site. We’ll be announcing more details shortly.

 

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