New owner found for Hastings community centre

The Parchment Trust charity announced the news regarding The Bridge, in Priory Road, Ore.

The charity has been in full ownership of the centre since March 2024.

A statement from Parchment Trust said: “We have found a fantastic new owner for The Bridge and a legal process is now underway.

“We are unable to share who the new owner will be until we have completed the process as it’s commercially sensitive.”

The charity said it had been in talks since December and 'recently reached an agreement'.

It added that two 'incredible' charities are involved.

The charity said: “They are both fully committed to ensuring the covenants for community use are fulfilled. We have shared with them what the community told us was most important, and these things are being diligently built into their plans for The Bridge.

“We have been fully committed to finding a rapid solution which meets the needs of the community and fulfils the covenants. We have been doing this whilst also following the necessary steps to fulfil our legal obligations of acting in the best interests of our charity.

“We have also been openly sharing the true running costs with any worthy, interested party, which caused a few charities to walk away, as these costs are not insignificant. We wanted to be sure the next organisation would be fully able to open and maintain The Bridge for years to come.

“We are confident we have now reached a great solution which should benefit everyone. Of course, as with any legal process, it is not a certainty until it is done, but we are all fully committed, working at speed and hopeful to complete within three months.”

The centre has been closed for seven years.

Last year a decision by the Parchment Trust to sell the centre on the open market for £650,000 attracted dismay from people who were behind The Bridge's inception more than 20 years ago.

The sale came after the charity said it had to abandon plans to open a third site at the community centre due to rising costs.

In June 2025 the Parchment Trust said it had to cut back due to the rise in National Insurance (NI) contributions in order to keep its ‘core charitable services safe’, so put up the site for sale.

The trust works with people with disabilities, offering services, such as supported employment.

Hastings MP, Helena Dollimore, then raised the issue in Parliament in October 2025 with Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Miatta Fahnbulleh MP, calling for the centre to be returned to public ownership.

She argued that public money was spent on reopening The Bridge.

Ms Dollimore said: “It is fantastic news that plans have been announced to save the Bridge Community Centre. Thank you to everyone who supported our campaign to protect it for community use.

“I’m delighted a great local charity will be taking over The Bridge and ensuring this space remains open for community use. As well as raising this issue in Parliament, I have had helpful discussions with local charities, with the Charity Commission and local councils to help ensure the future of The Bridge is secured.”