BCCE buys Trinity

Trinity Centre is sold by the Church Commissioners to Bristol Caribbean Community Enterprise Ltd

The Trinity Centre is sold to Bristol Caribbean Community Enterprise Ltd (BCCE) for £25,000, with a number of restrictive covenants, including stipulating its use for community purposes.

A sale price of £25,000 is agreed for Holy Trinity to the Caribbean Community Enterprise Limited. Payment is expected in installments. The purchasers are also expected 'to pay a substantial part of the purchase price and to have undertaken the conversion of the existing building before embarking on the levelling out of the churchyard.'

On 21 December 1977 Order in Council was made by Church Commissioners that Holy Trinity could be appropriated for use as a community centre. This order formed the basis of a protective covenant that is still in place to safeguard its use in the present day.

About BCCE

The St Paul's 'uprisings' of 1980 awakened the desire of African-Caribbean community activists to provide ownership for young people of a centre that offered entertainment and personal development relevant to their own perceived needs. Without the hard work and dedication of this organisation, who undertook all of the early restoration and conversion work, the Centre would not be the amazing functioning community space it is today.

BCCE timeline

1977-1984 - Roots, rock and rebellion

30 March 1977, the building was appropriated for community use by Church Commissioners. Roy De Freitas led the plan to turn Trinity into a Caribbean community institute
1 October 1981 - Two fires at opposite ends of the church caused localised damage to floors
31 December 1981 - the building was sold to Bristol Caribbean Community Enterprise Ltd (BCCE) for £25,000, with a number of restrictive covenants, including stipulating its use for community purposes
Trinity became a predominant music venue for different genres popular at the time, from reggae through ska to punk.
9 January 1984 - Church Commissioners reported that building works were carried out to construct a floor within the galleries that were not in accordance with restrictive covenants placed upon the building
April 1984 - BCCE went into liquidation

1985-1989 - Life after BCCE

30 October 1985 estimating costs of £174k to repair leaking roofs, fire protection and a new intermediate floor to span the nave
6 June 1985 - Midlands Bank subsequently sell the freehold to Bristol City Council for £40,000
September 1987 - Bristol City Council commission a comprehensive repair scheme and a new intermediate steel and concrete floor is installed