Youth charity Carisma, run by residents in Moss Side, faces closure unless it can find a way to save its meeting place at The Saltshaker on Alexandra Park. It needs £200,000 to secure the future of the building, formerly The Pepper Pot, once a notorious gangland pub.
It was taken over by St Edmund's Church, Whalley Range, and transformed into a headquarters for Carisma in 2003.
The parish has since shelled out more than £100,000 to keep the centre open, despite receiving no other outside funding.
Overheads
But faced with ever rising overheads it may now be may be forced to sell the site for housing.
Those at the helm of Carisma - which also operates in Hulme and Longsight - are determined to find a way to keep the Moss Side base going.
The charity was set up to curb South Manchester's infamous gang culture with drop-in events for young people, a street pastor initiative and peace week, an annual series of events aimed at cutting street violence.
Carisma co-founder Erinma Bell is leading efforts to save the Saltshaker, lobbying councillors, MPs and ministers and looking into sources of funding. She said: "It is central to the community and has a lot of meaning for people living here. We want to safeguard the site for community use and are doing everything we can.
"We would need to raise about £200,000, but are hoping to persuade a number of funders to help.
"It is early days but we are holding talks with a view to turning the site into a community and resource centre and involving young people in the management. This is the kind of thing which is desperately needed in Moss Side."
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation is one organisation which has expressed an interest.
A spokesman for Manchester Council said: "We are aware of Carisma's interest in buying the building and are offering practical support and advice in putting a business plan together."
What do you think? Have your say. Tweet
Comments
Login or Register to comment
There are no comments about this at the moment.