providing a safe place of welcome and opportunity for the local and wider community

The Dorothy Parkes Centre is an award winning community centre based in Smethwick, a diverse and deprived area in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell in the West Midlands. Our Centre opened in 2000 and was created out of the 'Old Church' parish hall by an innovative partnership between the Parish Church Council, Sandwell Area Health Authority, Harborne Parish Lands Charity, New Opportunities Fund and the Church Urban Fund.  Our Centre aims to be a safe place of welcome and opportunity to the local and wider community and is fully accessible, open seven days a week.  There are a variety of groups, classes, and activities available at our Centre which all aim to help tackle local issues such as physical health, mental health, obesity, social isolation, low educational attainment, poverty and unemployment.  Our Centre hosts Election voting services, as well as community events, fundraising events, and private functions. We distribute food vouchers, host police, & council surgeries & promote other events and programmes happening throughout the borough.  Our Centre is community led and we regularly consult and engage with the local community members via open days, social media, and a steering group. We were delighted to be Weston Charity Award Winners and have achieved the Trusted Charity Level One Quality Mark.