The Fitzherbert Community Hub Story
Welcoming and nourishing all with food, friendship and fun!
Our parish hall was run down and in need of refurbishment to transform into a beautiful community space.
Many of you will have enjoyed eating at our weekly pop up café in the parish hall prior to Lockdown and enjoyed catching up with neighbours over a delicious lunch.
Others may have accessed the Brighton Table Tennis Club Food Hub which has been operating out of the parish hall since March with support from Real Junk Food Project Brighton, Voices in Exile and the Catholic Parish of East Brighton.
This space has now been transformed into a Community Hub which we hope will be at the very heart of a happy and thriving community.
Our Story
Why Fitzherbert?
You may be wondering why we are called the Fitzherbert Community Hub? It has been named after Maria Anne Fitzherbert who was the first wife of the Prince Regent and funded the construction of St John the Baptist’s Church.
1835 - Completion of St John the Baptist church
The church, designed by William Hallat, is the first and oldest surviving Roman Catholic Church in Brighton and only the fourth Catholic church to be built since the Reformation.
1837 - The death of Maria Fitzherbert
After her death in 1837, Maria Fitzherbert was buried at St John the Baptist Church, with a memorial stone and sculpture placed in the nave.
1852 - A school is built
A school (one of the first in Brighton) was built in the grounds of St John the Baptist Church.
1980s - The Fitzherbert Centre emerges
Over the years the site became known as the Fitzherbert Centre and was repurposed as a Day Centre for people experiencing homelessness in the 1980s.
2007 - Relocation
After an arson attack in 2007, the Day Centre is forced to move to another nearby location.
2007-2020 - Partnerships are formed
Since then the Fitzherbert Centre has been refurbished and is now the home of Brighton Table Tennis Club and Voices in Exile as well as the parish hall.
2020 - The Food Hub opened
In March Brighton Table Tennis Club Food Hub began operating out of the parish hall with the support of Real Junk Food Project Brighton, Voices in Exile and the Catholic Parish of East Brighton.
2022 - Construction is well underway
Take a look at the progress here. Completion of the community hub anticipated in mid-October and community café will open soon after.
Countdown to the FCH launch
The Parish Hall is being transformed into the Fitzherbert Community Hub and will open in November 2022
FCH doors are OPEN
We celebrate opening the Fitzherbert Community Hub with a community day on Saturday 26 November 2022.
Stories of Note
The Fitzherbert Community Hub has been working with local filmmakers Stories of Note to socially document the development of the Fitzherbert Community Hub. You can see these short films following our story here:
