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 Workshops

View the full programme here.

17 September 2025

Patchwork From the Start (Block 3)

BLOCK 3 AUTUMN 2025 £15 A SESSION PAID UPFRONT £100 (OR 2 PAYMENTS OF £50 UPFRONT AND £50 ON WEEK 1) 17TH SEPTEMBER & 1ST OCTOBER: STAINED GLASS PATCHWORK 15TH & 29TH OCTOBER: JAPANESE FOLDED PATCHWORK 5TH & 19TH NOVEMBER: QUILLO 3RD DECEMBER: CHRISTMAS PATCHWORK 7.00PM – 9.00PM Explore patchwork techniques in combination with getting to know your sewing machine in these fun sessions plus lots of tea and biscuits/cake. Start learning what your machine can do as well as create useful patchwork projects including Stained Glass and Japanese Patchwork, Quillo and Christmas gifts & Decorations.

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£100
04 October 2025

An Introduction to East Asian Calligraphy

Discover the timeless art of East Asian calligraphy in this engaging hands-on workshop. Participants will begin by exploring the rich history, distinctive styles, and renowned masters of Chinese and Japanese calligraphy. After an introduction to brush and ink techniques on traditional calligraphy paper, the session will move on to extended practice using specially designed calligraphy boards. This focused stage of the workshop offers plenty of time to develop your skills, and each participant will take home their boards as a lasting memento of the experience. Refreshments, expert instruction, and all equipment and materials provided. No prior knowledge or experience required.

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£40
18 October 2025

T-Shirt Lino Printing

Art With Bianca. Join us for a fun and exciting one-day Saturday workshop where you'll learn to design and carve your own Lino block and print it onto a T-shirt or clothing garment of your choice. Whether you're a complete beginner or have a little more experience as a printmaker, Bianca will gently guide you through every step of the process. You'll leave at the end of the day with a wearable piece of art and the skills to create more at home. Suitable for all levels. 9:30am – 3:30pm (30 min lunch) Refreshments will be provided but learners will […]

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£35

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

  • 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)

  • 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)

  • 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)

  • 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)

  • 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)

  • 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)

Community Partners