We are delighted to announce that Church at Barking Riverside has been selected as the preferred candidate to be the bookings and activation operator for the Rivergate Centre!

As of 1st August, we now manage the bookings for the centre. Joe Bayes has become our interim Centre Manager, and you can contact him on rivergate@churchatbr.com or pop in most days and say hello in the Rivergate Centre itself.

So what’s going to change?

For a short time… not a lot! Right now, we are managing bookings and getting set up whilst we agree the details of how this works longer term with Barking Riverside LTD (BRL). We’ll be taking time to meet regular users and so you’ll see is around the Rivergate Centre more through the week – please do say hi!

Longer term, we have high hopes to support the activation of the centre throughout the week.

Why are we doing this?

As a Church vision our work is to see our communities thriving with Jesus at the heart. We believe this can only happen as we work together, celebrating our different gifts, and creating spaces for people to connect and grow. And to do so holistically – physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

We see our role in the Rivergate Centre as hosting. The Rivergate Centre is like a microcosm of our wider community – it faces some significant challenges and change, but already it is home to a diverse group of people with ambition, creativity, and compassion for others. The Rivergate Centre is home to faith groups, charities, youth groups, sports clubs, wellbeing activities, coffee mornings, toddler groups, a primary school, and nurseries… not to mention the place we choose to celebrate life moments, from birthdays to baptisms, Eid to Christmas. Yet it’s also a space that needs some love, is often empty during the day, and has potential to be so much more.

We want the Rivergate Centre to become the beating heart of this community, and we know we can only do this together. So, our hope is to form a small team that will help to host the space; to connect and empower users, both current and new. To work together to bring a flow of activities, events, services, and celebrations. This isn’t about ‘corporate’ management (though we ensure that everything runs smoothly) but fostering a community that reflects, celebrates, and benefits the wider community and the whole person.

So what now?

This is the vision we shared when we were interviewed for the role by a panel representing BRL, the estate CIC, local residents and users of the centre.

We also shared that it’s not a quick fix, but a long-term project. That’s what we’re committing to.

So, there won’t be huge changes super-fast. We’ll take time to recruit the right team; to talk and listen with current users; to partner with BRL in their commitment to reconsidering the physical spaces within the building; and then in starting to bring people together and move forward.

We know so many people have contributed over the years to community life in and around the Rivergate Centre, thank you, we can’t wait to keep working together to see our community thriving. And don’t forget if you’d like to hire some space indoor or outdoor, get in touch!