The Highfield Centre is a modern building located on Drewry Road in Keighley. The centre is well used by the local community, so if you are looking for a place to host an event, activity, meeting, training session or just a get together, please get in touch. We have various rooms for hire including a large hall, kitchen, a small meeting room, larger board room and an informal room with attached kitchenette.
The building is fully accessible and there is wi-fi available. There is on-site parking for 10 cars plus 2 disabled parking spaces, there is also plenty of free on-street parking around the centre.
The centre is available days, evening and weekends by arrangement so please contact us via the website, by email (office@keighleyhca.org.uk) or on 01535 608900 and we will help you in any way we can.
Partnership Working
The development of Highfield Community Association is founded on partnership working between local agencies, such as Craven College, Keighley College, Workers’ Educational Association (WEA), and Keighley & Shipley Family Hub. We are keen to develop our networking and partnership work, including closer contact with other centres in the area and initiatives that focus on sports and community activities.
Funding
Highfield Community Association receives no regular income, we raise income from activities and events at the centre. Fundraising is a key priority in the short and long term. As a social enterprise we are tasked with generating income and our vision is to become self-financing and to maintain constant commitment to making the most of the centre’s potential, across all generations.
Independence
Highfield Community Association and the centre has in the past been supported by Bradford Council – including staff time and financial management – however, from April 2006 the centre became independent with their own policies and procedures in place overseen by a Board of Directors.
The History of The Highfield Centre and Highfield Community Association
A need is identified
In 2001 a community consultation took place and feedback from various working groups clearly identified the need for a multi-use facility in the Highfield area of Keighley. The development was made possible thanks mainly to funding from the Highfield Single Regeneration Budget and Sure Start Keighley. Further funding was secured from the European Development Fund (ERDF) and the Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative (NNI) which was part of the New Opportunities Fund (NOF).
Highfield Community Association is registered as a company
On the 17th July 2002 Highfield Community Association was registered as a limited company with a Board of Directors drawn from the local communities.
The Highfield Centre opens
The Highfield Centre, which was opened in April 2004 is located on Drewry Road in Keighley and occupies half of what was previously the Highfield Middle School site. The land on which the Highfield Centre stands is owned by City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council. Highfield Community Association lease half of the building from Bradford Metropolitan District Council, the remainder is leased by Kiddicare, which is a not-for-profit community-based childcare provider. Within the building is also Highfield Community Pre-School and until November 2018 it was also the base for Highfield Children’s Centre.
Official opening of The Highfield Centre
The Highfield Centre was officially opened on 25th May 2005 by Councillor Lynne Joyce.
Highfield Community Association changes its name
On the 12th June 2008, Highfield Community Association, changed its company name to Highfield Community Association – Keighley.
Highfield Community Association – Keighley registers as a charity
In July 2008 we became a charity.
The Highfield Centre 10th Anniversary of our official opening
On 27th May 2015 we celebrated the 10th anniversary of Highfield Centre’s official opening with a fun afternoon of activities.
HCA was awarded funding from Power to Change Community Business Fund Grants Programme
In December 2016 Highfield Community Association (HCA) was awarded funding from Power to Change Community Business Fund Grants Programme. The money granted was to extend the business space within the existing indoor hall. The hall was being underused as a sports facility and was more often used for events and functions, however the nature of the hall (high ceiling and difficult to warm) discouraged some potential users. HCA also required additional rooms for our projects, staff and storage.
HCA hall is renovated
Work began at the beginning of November 2018 and was carried out by James Mae Projects Limited based in Shipley. The work was funded with a grant from Power to Change and involved installing a mezzanine floor in the hall, thus lowering the ceiling and enabling additional rooms to be created above. Windows and new lighting were also installed, the walls painted and the floor repainted and treated. The kitchen was also extended by knocking through into the women’s changing area, aan area rarely used and was mostly being used for storage. The majority of the building work was completed by the end of March 2019 and then additional works to the kitchen, preparing the areas, such as painting, laying carpets, furnishing etc. took place. We also received funding towards the build from The Clothworkers’ Foundation and Keighley Town Council, with the remainder coming from our own funds. Through Crowdfunding we raised some additional funds and thanks go to Jill Kibble for her donation. The Craven Trust also awarded us some money towards furniture for our new rooms upstairs.
Partial closure of The Highfield Centre due to the coronavirus
On 23rd March 2020 the United Kingdom went into lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19). The Highfield Centre was closed to the public and all events, classes and activities were cancelled. Highfield Community Association staff worked in rotas to support our project users by supplying food packs and craft activities. Kiddicare Day Nursery remained open to support children of key workers. Highfield Community Preschool closed until further notice.
Lockdown restrictions eased
On Monday 12th April Community Centre were allowed to re-open and courses returned to face-to-face teaching. Children’s activities were also able to resume. Large events were still not able to take place and life events (funerals/weddings) had restricted numbers allowed to attend.
Further lockdown restrictions eased
From 17th May some lockdown rules were eased. Rule of 6 or two households could meet indoors and up to 30 persons could meet outside. This enabled us to re-start some of our groups with outdoor activities and walks.
