By Nina Bryant, News sub-editor
Today, Wednesday 19 December, the social enterprise Coexist have vacated their site, Hamilton House, in Stokes Croft.
Having been a creative hub and a community space offering holistic therapies, dance classes, affordable workspaces for artists, event space for social enterprises and much more - it will be greatly missed by members of the Stokes Croft community.
After ten years of being in Hamilton House, this eviction comes as a result of the landords’, Connolly & Callaghan, plans to develop the building into flats.
Local campaign group, ‘Save Hamilton House’, still hope to bring Hamilton House into community ownership. This will be debated at the next full council meeting in January 2019, following their petition which received over 4,500 signatures.
Leader of Coexist, Clare Holmes, stated on behalf of the community group:
‘It is an incredibly sad time for us to be leaving Hamilton House and we are extremely proud of all we have achieved over the past ten years...Coexist may be leaving but the story isn’t over...Bristol City Council still have the opportunity to step in and do the right thing.’
The facilities offered at Hamilton House included: the Coexist Community Kitchen, the Wellbeing Centre and affordable meeting rooms offered for free to refugee groups.
Coexist are now looking for a new site for 2019, so that they can continue to offer these facilities to the local community.
Featured image: Epigram / Nina Bryant
What do you think of the changes in Stokes Croft? Let us know!
