Storm over Centerprise rages through Black History Month
Under threat: Centerprise in Kingsland Road, Dalston. Photograph: Antonio Curcetti
A threatened multicultural bookshop has increased its rental offer to the council in an attempt to avoid closure.
Dalston shop Centerprise, a hub for black literature and arts on Kingsland Road, is under threat of being shut down after Hackney Council increased its rent.
The bookshop, which has been paying a peppercorn rent of £10 a week, now faces a £37,000 per year charge – a much higher rent rate which would cripple the charity.
The shop made an initial offer of £9,000 to the council in February but this was rejected. Emmanuel Amevor, Centerprise’s chief executive, confirmed a higher offer of £12,000 was made to the council last month (September).
Mr Amevor, who hasn’t yet had a response from the council, said: “It seems like they are not interested in any offer we make. They’re trying to accuse us of not working with them to find a solution.”
Given the legal costs of a court case would be £20,000, which would force the trust to close, Mr Amevor is keen to negotiate with the Town Hall to avoid a hearing. He said: “The council seem to be giving the impression we are not willing to settle out of court, which is very strange. It’s like they just want to wipe us out.’”
As well as being a bookshop, Centerprise offers educational support (in maths, English and science) to local children in Hackney. It also runs creative workshops, hosts a Caribbean cuisine restaurant and is the brains behind WordPower, Europe’s biggest black literature festival and book fair.
With the shop’s existence under threat, public troops have rallied. So far 1,636 people have signed the online petition which claims: “The local council are attempting to stunt the growth, education, opportunities and talents of everyone especially our young people and elders by wanting to close down Centerprise.”
A further 2,000 people have signed a petition in-store and a public meeting is being held on 10 October in the Kingsland Road shop. But even with the public’s backing, Mr Amevor said the money raised so far “has not even scratched the surface”. He added: “The public support has been tremendous, it’s like the council doesn’t value the opinions of the people they are supposed to be serving.”
Centerprise hopes its new offer will mean the case is settled out of court.
The council has confirmed they have received the offer, but at time of publication it has not yet responded to it.
The court hearing is currently scheduled for Monday 15 October.
Go here for the online petition to save Centerprise.
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Thank god for that. I walked past this library the other day and thought it was an utter disgrace to The Borough. The sooner it’s replaced with a organic coffee shop the better, if there’s one thing the young Black men of Hackney need, it’s more coffee and cupcakes.
“…learning about the hardship of my ancestors and the slavery trade would be much better with a skinny latte from ground beans from a commune in Columbia”.
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/.a/6a00d83451c45669e201156fa3ad10970c-500wi
Centreprise carries anti-semitic and other racist literature promulgated by the nation of islam so I am happy to see it close. Hackney libraries (like the one just round the corner from Centreprise on Dalston Lane have sections on Black history and culture so why is this place necessary? Half of it is a mediocre West Indian cafe and why we need a subsidised one of those is beyond me when there are plenty of good ones nearby. So 1,600 have signed a petition? That means the other 200,000 people in Hackney don’t care. Shut this place down ASAP.
Centerprise were paying a rent of £520 per year for the use of this building for many years. That’s just 8p per square foot. They are also subletting parts of the building to private businesses. This situation could not be allowed to continue, which is why the Council tried to work with Centerprise to negotiate a new lease.
The Council has a subsidised rent rate of £4 per square foot for several buildings occupied by charities and community groups. Centerprise have been given several opportunities to demonstrate that all of the services being delivered from the premises are of benefit to Hackney residents; and that the organisation is well managed and in a financial position to pay the subsidised rent. To date, the staff and trustees at Centerprise have not been able to show this and are therefore not eligible to receive the discounted rate.
Centerprise’s recent offer of £12,000 per year is less than £2 per square foot; substantially lower than other eligible voluntary and community groups. This is not a fair or acceptable rent for the double shop-front, two floors and a basement on a busy high street, and it would mean Centreprise getting a subsidy from the taxpayer beyond that received by any other organisation in the borough.
Hackney Council has no intention of selling this building – it is a valuable asset belonging to the people of Hackney – and we are committed to ensuring that it is used by a voluntary or community group to provide services for local people and for the money collected in rent to support the upkeep of the building during these difficult financial times.
@HackneyCouncilspokesperson assuming that Hackney does actually own the property for its benefit.
What’s the betting that – if Centreprise gets evicted – Hackney Council will let out the building to a company with a FTSE listing, with the ‘benefit’ to Hackney’s citizens being provided courtesy of some kind of public-private partnership?
response to Jeff’s comment:
This is a damned lie. I am Jewish and regularly use the space, both the cafe, writing workshops and bookshop. This is racist comment to try and divide and rule.
Hi Reg
Are you saying that Jeff is wrong in stating that the bookshop displayed openly racist and antisemitic literature?
Cllr Abraham Jacobson – personally, I’ve never been in the shop so I’ve no idea what kind of literature they have there. But since the onus of proof should be on the accuser, could you, or Jeff or others, please indicate what is anti-semitic about their books?
Black people are not allowed to have places where they can meet, discuss their history and culture, without racists in direct control. This is the reality of racism. Give them alcohol, drugs and unemployment; that’s what racists think Black people deserve. Long live the African independent spirit!!
Centerprise was never a Black community centre, it was always a community centre, embracing people from all cultures, all religions (and none) and all sexualities.
Its bookshop was indicative of the clientele, carrying not only a brilliant selection of Black literature and history, but also local East End history, one of the best collections of LGBTQ literature this side of the capital, Buddhist teachings and paraphernalia, Jewish Anarchist/Marxist periodicals, you name it, you’d find here (and possibly nowhere else).
I think it is important to support one’s local bookshop and, in my days at college, if Centerprise didn’t have a book in stock, I’d get them to order for me.
Unfortunately, after a change in personnel a few years ago, all the LGBTQ literature was unceremoniously dumped and trashed, along with other diverse literature. I encountered open hostility from a member of staff when I tried to order a gay-studies book. And, just as I wouldn’t like to use a venue that stocked BNP or National Front books, I didn’t feel comfortable visiting Centerprise anymore, after finding they were stocking Nation of Islam literature (which is unquestionably hostile to all people of Jewish origin and all members of the LGBTQ community).
If Centerprise makes a concerted effort to return to its origins as a community centre, being inclusive and embracing everyone in Hackney, great, I’d support it. But if it continues down the path of being oppressive, homophobic and racist, it has no business being subsidised by our tax dollars!