Access information:
- Access to the community centre by a lift
- There is an accessible toilet
Kemp Town Crypt Community Centre
The community centre consists of a hall and various rooms in the crypt of St Georges Church, accessed by a lift. Although labyrinthine, it is fairly easy to get around in a wheelchair.
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Address:
St. George's Church
St. George's Road
Kemp Town
Brighton
BN2 1ED
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Phone:
01273 888444
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Web:
www.stgeorges-church.org
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Opening Times:
There are events all day, including evenings in the Centre, from Monday to Saturday, and the cafe is open Monday - Friday 9am - 3pm.
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Getting There / Parking:
The church is on the corner of St. George's Road and Abbey Road, in the Kemp Town area of Brighton. It is on the 52 and 57 bus routes, and 5 minutes from bus stops in Eastern Road and on Marine Parade.
Sometimes it is possible to park on the gravel drive in front of the church. There are 2 disabled bays on St. George's road on the opposite corner to the church. There are also some in Sudeley Terrace (at the back of the eye hospital)
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Getting In:
To get into the Community Centre take the path that runs between the north wall of the church and the children's playground. A door in the glass entrance lobby, which opens outwards, is always fixed open. Straight ahead is the lift, which takes you down to the Crypt, and there are also stairs.
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Getting Around / Facilities:
I found the centre, although labyrinthine, OK to get around in my chair. There is a hall, various rooms and a cafe, all accessible.
There is an accessible toilet.
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Additional Comments:
I was amazed to find that such a thriving community centre dwelt below the 19th. Century church. There are about 40 group meetings a week in the hall and rooms, for example: U3A; pilates; dog training; self-help groups including AA; languages; drumming; writing, a great variety. When I was looking round I got a bit distracted by little girls in dance dresses flitting about, arriving for their class.
The rooms are let out at low rates. There is a nursery with 22 places, and the hall is rented out for parties.(children only)
The cafe is very popular, and is staffed by St. John's Special Needs Students, who gain valuable work experience.
I was impressed by the first thing you see when you arrive downstairs, a display which resulted from the Kemp Town oral history project. People's memories of the area are reproduced on beautifully illustrated boards. Also on a historical note, there is still a vault that contains the tombs of the Kemp family, which can be viewed.
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Reviewed By:
Pat
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Review Date:
March 2009, updated 10/3/2011 by Pappya
Published in
Public Buildings & Community Centres - Brighton
