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.

14 January 2026

Patchwork From the Start (Block 4 – Winter 2026)

SUITABLE FOR ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS BLOCK 4 WINTER 2026 £90 FOR 6 SESSIONS ADVANCED PAYMENT REQUIRED IN FULL OR 2 PAYMENTS OF £45 Balance to be paid before the start date (non-refundable). 14TH & 28th JANUARY: SEMINOLE PATCHWORK 18TH FEBRUARY: CURVY PATCHWORK BLOCK 4TH & 18TH MARCH: PLEATS, FOLDS & SURFACE TEXTURES 8TH APRIL: KANTHA & CRUMBS 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 Seminole, Curvy Patchwork block, […]

£90
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21 February 2026

Acrylic Painting: ‘Brush Strokes in Time’

Art With Bianca. Inspired by the unique art of David Ambarzumjan, this workshop will teach you to create a "painting within a painting." You'll learn to use bold, expressive strokes and rich acrylics to peel back the layers of a scene, revealing a different time or place. Perfect for anyone looking to try a fresh and imaginative approach to painting. Forget conventional landscapes; we'll learn how to layer time itself onto the canvas, transforming a single scene into a powerful narrative. This is your chance to create a piece that tells a story. Image courtesy of David Ambarzumjan. https://david-ambarzumjan.com/brushstrokes-in-time-main-collection 10am […]

£30
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28 February 2026

Rough Seas – In Thick & Thin Acrylics

With David Pasfield. Saturday 28th February 2026, 9.30am-4pm (please arrive 9am to set up) £48 payable in advance   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 […]

£48
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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

  • 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)

  • 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)

  • 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)

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

  • 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)

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

  • 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)

Community Partners