Your Community in Braintree

As a Centre, we aim to improve the condition and quality of life of those living in the district through the provision of facilities at the Centre for education, recreation and leisure time activities.

BBCA Classes

Weekly Classes

We offer weekly classes in a range of subjects from arts and crafts to languages, all with experienced tutors in a friendly atmosphere.
Sign up for a class here!

Room & Hall Hire

We have a variety of rooms available for hire, so whether you need to hold a group meeting for 70 people or a children’s birthday party, just the once or every week all year, we can help.

Craft Hub

Helping unwanted craft materials get passed on at very low cost!
It’s green, it’s fun and it saves you money!

Braintree Open Art

The Braintree Open Art Galleries are all available to browse here on the website. View a diverse mix of works from Braintree and around the world.

Upcoming Events

View our full programme of upcoming events and workshops here.

15 January 2025

Patchwork from the Start

With Karen Odinga. Explore patchwork techniques in combination with getting to know your sewing machine in this fun class. Start learning what your machine can do as well as create useful patchwork projects. Suitable for absolute beginners. The cost will be £15 a session on Wednesday evenings, 7 - 9pm (£90 to be paid upfront). The class will start on January 15th, 2025, and will be every 2 weeks: 15th & 29th January 12th & 26th February 12th & 26th March   Materials to bring to the class: Sewing machine with all attachments, accessories and extension lead if you have […]

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£90
21 February 2025

Lino Printmaking

With Bianca Garcia. Book a place on our Lino Printmaking Workshop where you can create your own Lino stamp and print your own design. 21st February 2025, 9.30am – 3pm. £30 pp (£10 non-refundable deposit to secure space) Whether you are a beginner or someone who has dabbled in printmaking before and wants a refresher. Using traditional Lino cutting techniques, you will learn how to create your own Lino printing block. You will keep the Lino block for many more prints you may want to make at home. Although it is not necessary, do feel free to bring with you […]

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£30
22 February 2025

Spring Landscapes in Thick and Thin Acrylics

With David Pasfield. Using an underpainting technique to apply a first impression painting followed by texture build-up using a palette knife with heavy body acrylics in an impasto style. Free up your painting style, being bold and not worrying about detail. Free refreshments provided, but bring or buy your own lunch Please check the class details for the equipment and materials list Materials: No additional materials cost Equipment & Materials Acrylic paints – vibrant colours Heavy duty Impasto Gel MDF or hardboard (pre-primed with white gesso). You can also use canvasses or canvas board.  (Size should be at least 50x50 […]

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£48

Latest News and Updates

If you are feeling sad or down, there is always help available and someone to talk to!
Here are some contact numbers, just in case.

MIND has a helpline: 0300 123 3393 Mon to Friday 9am to 6pm
SAMARITANS: call 116 123, 24/7
CRISIS run a 24/7 textline: text SHOUT to 85258 if you don’t feel you can talk but want to communicate. 

Testimonials

  • Friendly, professional and helpful staff, very clean and convenient to town. Excellent facilities offering a wide and range of adult classes and activities. - Debbie (September 2019, via Facebook)

  • A good place to have a meeting. It appears to be on a main road through Braintree, though has plenty of parking once you drive in. - David (2017, via Google)

  • Braintree Rethink Art Group use the big hall every week ... very clean....warm & friendly welcome.....Excellent venue X - Trina (May 2017, via Facebook)

  • This is a really nice, quiet place to have meetings. It is an old house that looks like a Georgian building. It has had some modifications and extensions and the area is just lovely, just beside a shopping area. - Max (2019, via Google)

  • Excellent, welcoming and flexible space, a real refuge for those in need of it. - Richard (2018, via Google)

  • I really enjoyed the Class on June 9th with Maggie. She's an excellent tutor with lots of experience. The piece I made is going to look great mounted and it adds to my portfolio of techniques. Roll on the next class on 23rd June!! - Brenda (June 2018)

  • A great looking place that offers a fair few things to sign up to for reasonable prices to help you learn all types of things. - Jordan (May 2018, via Google)

  • Fab day as per usual, can highly recommended Maggie Harling as a tutor and braintree community centre as an excellent venue, thank you all x - Leigh (August 2018, via Facebook)

Community Partners