A neighbourhood venue is on track to resume operations, bringing optimism that vital services will become accessible to locals once more.
The Bridge Community Centre in Ore, Hastings, is slated to be taken over by Magdalen and Lasher, a charitable body that has operated in the Hastings region for almost seven and a half centuries.
The site risked being sold to a commercial buyer after the Parchment Trust, which was gifted the property in 2023, opted to advertise it for purchase the preceding year. This choice startled local council members, particularly since public money had contributed to the building’s upkeep and limitations on community use were attached to the premises.
In September 2025, Councillor Glenn Haffenden, who heads Hastings Borough Council, conveyed his dissatisfaction with the disposal of the publicly funded establishment and admitted he was astonished by the selling price.
Little Gate, a group that supports people with learning disabilities and autism in finding work, gaining skills, and participating in community life, will oversee the centre.
Helena Dollimore, the MP for Hastings and Rye, said that after considerable uncertainty, she was glad progress was being made toward reopening the Bridge. She noted that Magdalen and Lasher, which has operated in Hastings for almost 750 years, would become the new owners, and they had confirmed their intention to return the facility to community use.
Dollimore added that the organization would manage the Bridge as a welcoming community space while providing certain Little Gate programs on-site, and she expressed her pleasure that local charities would be taking over the facility.
The parliamentarian, who raised the issue in the House of Commons, held discussions with charitable groups, council officials, and the Charity Commission to secure the building’s future.
The centre’s shutdown and planned disposal last September provoked passionate reactions from area residents, who stressed how significant the venue was to the community.
Chammy Dowler said that the family visited regularly when their children were young, and it always provided excellent services, a café and educational courses. She emphasized that Hastings truly needs a community centre, and it would greatly benefit local residents.
Claire Booth said that as a new mother in Hastings, this place was essential for her. She connected with numerous community members she would not have met otherwise, and it served as a genuine gathering spot and source of joy.