The Francis Crick Institute opens the new Somers Town Living Centre
A brand new community space for people living in Somers Town has opened within the Francis Crick Institute.
The St Pancras and Somers Town Living Centre will help to improve health and wellbeing locally by offering a range of services that have been developed with Somers Town residents and which complement successful services already on offer in the area. The services will include a job hub, activities for under-fives, courses in English as a second language, employability workshops, Citizens Advice services and healthy living classes.
The Living Centre is the first community space to be built in Somers Town – one of the most deprived 25% of neighbourhoods in London – for more than 15 years.
The 450 m2 centre on Ossulston Street is part of the newly constructed Francis Crick Institute building. It is supported by the institute and is run by the Living Centre Partners, a group of Camden community organisations appointed by the Crick to manage the centre.
The Living Centre aims to be the reference point for a successful community health initiative in Camden, London and beyond.
Sarah Elie, from the Living Centre Partners, said: “The Living Centre is a unique and exciting opportunity to help reduce inequalities in the local area, to make the most of local skills, resources and knowledge, and to work with the Francis Crick Institute and its partners to benefit the community.
“At the heart of the centre is a sustainable organisation that works with the local community to create a vibrant, well-used and welcoming community space, delivering a range of affordable, good-value services that seek to improve wellbeing, and complement existing services in the area.”
Katie Matthews, Director of Public Engagement at the Francis Crick Institute, said: “The Crick’s mission is to help to tackle some of the biggest health challenges facing humanity, from heart disease to cancer. Through our support of the Living Centre, we will also help improve the health of the local community. This is a new template for how institutes like ours can support their immediate neighbours, and we very much look forward to working with the Living Centre Partners on such an exciting project.”
