Park Centre from 1872-2025
This building was erected in 1872 for the benefit of the people of Burgess Hill by Emily Temple in memory of General John Hall. In 2025 Park Centre Burgess Hill CIO officially became the trustees of Park Centre
Park Centre’s History
Park Centre has a long and proud history in the heart of Burgess Hill. Built in 1872 by Simeon Norman, it was generously donated to the people of the town by Emily Temple. Her vision was clear: to create a welcoming space where the community could come together. Originally named St John’s Institute, the building was a hub for local people for many decades. In the 1960s, it became known as Park Centre, reflecting its role as a modern community facility. By the 1970s, West Sussex County Council (WSCC) had taken on the role of sole trustees. Unfortunately, in 2021, the difficult decision was made by WSCC to close Park Centre. But the story didn’t end there. In 2023, a group of dedicated local residents came together to form a new charity: Park Centre Burgess Hill CIO. Working in partnership with WSCC and the Charity Commission, the charity successfully secured the building through a community asset transfer in February 2025. Today, Park Centre Burgess Hill CIO is proud to continue Emily Temple’s legacy — ensuring that Park Centre remains a place for the community, by the community.
Park Centre Burgess Hill CIO
In 2023, Park Centre Burgess Hill Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) was formed by a group of passionate local residents. Their shared goal was to take over the Park Centre through a community asset transfer from West Sussex County Council (WSCC) and bring the building back to life as a vital space for local youth and the wider community.
The first steps involved registering the charity, recruiting volunteer trustees, and mapping out a vision for Park Centre’s future. One of the top priorities was addressing what urgent repair work was needed to make the building safe and usable again. Several building surveys were commissioned, and the team quickly gained strong support from the local community. To raise awareness and funds, the trustees organised community information days and hosted fundraising events at local venues. Many generous local businesses donated raffle prizes, services, and support, helping to raise essential funds for the restoration. Crucial early funding from Awards for All (National Lottery), Sussex Community Foundation, Burgess Hill Town Council, and the Chalk Cliff Trust. These grants enabled the charity to begin tackling the most immediate challenges as soon as Park Centre was officially transferred in February 2025. These included wall tie replacements, repainting the front of the building, structural repairs to the outer wall, installation of a new fire alarm system, CCTV and intruder alarm, internal decoration, deep cleaning, repairs to windows and doors, ceiling and leak repairs, boiler servicing, minor roof work, replacement of lighting, and much more. Support from the community was invaluable, from volunteer cleaning and painting days to work donated by local plumbing, building, and architectural firms. Park Centre Burgess Hill is now almost ready to open its doors and is meeting with local community groups and businesses, and exploring which Park Centre-led projects it will set up to support the community.
The future of Park Centre
Park Centre Burgess Hill, is currently seeking planning permission from Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC) to make the centre fully accessible to everyone. At present, the lift is broken and only serves part of the first floor. Our plan includes installing a new lift and an extension to ensure the entire first floor is accessible to all visitors.
We also aim to add a Changing Places toilet, a new wheelchair-accessible toilet on the first floor, and to reconfigure the existing disabled toilet on the ground floor to improve accessibility for wheelchair users.
Multiple level-access entry points will be created, making each area easier to access and allowing spaces to be zoned off as needed. Accessible doorways and push-button wheelchair access points will be installed throughout the building. To enhance accessibility further, we intend to install a hearing loop system and provide Braille signage.
In support of our commitment to sustainability, we plan to include bike storage, green roof spaces, and solar panels as part of the refurbishment.
