Following financial challenges that continue to mount, the Board of Trustees of The Africa Centre in London has launched a campaign to save the 62-year-old home for African culture, creativity and community.
Tagged as: 'Our Africa Centre. Our Heritage. Our Future,' the national campaign is calling on communities, philanthropists, partners and friends of Africa to help secure the long-term future of the African cultural institution.
The Africa Centre which was established in 1964 and concluded the commemoration of its 60th anniversary last June; explained that “the campaign seeks to mobilise public support, philanthropic investment and strategic partnerships to strengthen the Centre's financial resilience while exploring the most sustainable long-term future for its Southwark home.”
The Africa Centre London
The Africa Centre London
The statement added that “Today, like many charities and cultural organisations across the United Kingdom, The Africa Centre faces increasing financial pressures. Rising operating costs, inflation, declining unrestricted income and the significant cost of maintaining a large cultural building have placed growing demands on the organisation's resources.
“Without decisive action, an increasing proportion of the Centre's income will continue to be spent maintaining buildings rather than investing in people, programmes and public impact.
“The Trustees believe this moment should not be defined by financial challenge alone, but by the opportunity to build a stronger institution for the next sixty years.
“As part of this process, the Board is exploring a range of options for the future stewardship of its Southwark property alongside new approaches to governance, partnerships and diversified income. The alternative stewardship models may include outright sale, a sale and lease back, or a shared ownership model between the community, the Africa Centre, and a philanthropist individual or organisation committed to its mission.”
The statement said “Every decision will be guided by one principle: safeguarding The Africa Centre's mission and ensuring its long-term sustainability.
“This work will lay the foundations for Africa Centre 3.0 - the organisation's long-term transformation strategy - creating a more resilient, innovative and financially sustainable institution with greater investment in culture, education, youth leadership, entrepreneurship, digital engagement and partnerships across the United Kingdom, Africa and the global African Diaspora.”
Chair of the Board of Trustees, Oba Nsugbe KC SAN, noted that "The overwhelming response from our community has reminded us that The Africa Centre is far more than a building. It is a shared home for African culture, heritage and identity, built by generations of people who believe in its mission.
"That is why today, we are launching Our Africa Centre. Our Heritage. Our Future. This campaign reflects a simple truth: The Africa Centre belongs to all of us, and its future should be shaped by all of us."
Nsugbe added that “whether you contribute through a donation, a strategic partnership or by sharing your ideas, you will be helping to secure one of Britain's most important cultural institutions for future
generations."
He expressed appreciation to the staff, volunteers and “contractors, especially the Little Baobab Restaurant and the Manya Bar who are bearing so much of the pain caused by our financial struggles and the recent closure of the centre. It is their continued sacrifice that fuels our determination not to give up until we have secured our foundations and settled our outstanding commitments.”
Over the years since its establishment, the Centre has welcomed world leaders, artists, writers, musicians, entrepreneurs, students
and generations of Africans, people of African heritage and friends of Africa.
Donations can made on the website at: https://www.africacentre.org.uk/donate/donate/10/credit-card