Upholstery class
in action
HANWELL
So much
under one
roof
Steeped in history,
Hanwell Community Centre
has been a school, a
hospital and a rehearsal
hall for a few rock legends.
Neelum Bains found out
what goes on behind
those big, green doors.
H
idden away in the
heart of Hanwell, the
community centre
offers an impressive
array of sports, arts and social
activities for people of all ages.
Once a Victorian school,
Hanwell Community Centre has
a fascinating history, including
being home to a six-year-old
Charlie Chaplin in 1896.
The community centre building
is the remainder of the Central
London School District live-in
school opened in 1849. Still a
12
around ealing
Summer 2015
very large building now, it was
once positively monolithic but
some of the site was given over
to become the Cuckoo Estate.
This iconic landmark, in
Westcott Crescent, was adopted
as a community centre in 1945
and has remained a part of
community life ever since.
On average, 2,000 people use
the centre every week, which keeps
the council’s centre staff busy, but
they are encouraging even more
Hanwell residents and visitors to
come along and join in some of the
Left: Centre managers Rakesh Karia and Ian Mark want to welcome more visitors