Skip To Main Content

Cambridge City Council

Meadows Community Centre

299 Arbury Road, Cambridge CB4 2JL

The Meadows Community Centre has recently re-opened in a brand-new two-storey building in the north of the city.

The centre has eight public-use rooms that you can book for events and activities, as well as a café and free wifi. It also owns a football pitch and two changing rooms that you can hire.

The cafe is managed and run by the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS). It provides affordable simple refreshments and has indoor and outdoor seating.

The centre is fully accessible, with a Changing Places facility, a hearing-loop system in each meeting room and hall, lifts to the first floor, and braille signage throughout.

Opening hours

The centre is open to the public from 9am to 5pm every Monday to Friday, except on bank holidays.

On evenings and weekends, the centre is only open for pre-arranged groups and events.

The cafe’s current opening hours are 8.45am to 3.15pm every Monday to Friday. RVS are trying different opening times to establish a pattern that works for the centre’s visitors, staff and volunteers.

The cafe is also open from 9am to 2.30pm on Saturdays. There is no access to the rest of the centre during this time, except for pre-arranged events.

Public transport and parking

We encourage visitors to travel sustainably whenever possible.

The centre is a short walk from the guided busway at Orchard Park and is 10 minutes from the city centre on the Stagecoach Bus 1 route. Visit Traveline for public-transport timetables.

There are 13 cycle racks alongside the building.

There is a car park with 32 spaces, including five disabled parking spaces. There is an hourly charge for parking.

Some exemptions to the parking charge apply for people with mobility issues who attend health classes here but do not have a Blue Badge. Contact us to find out more.

Events and activities

The centre hosts many groups and activities each week. The programme of events includes contact details for each activity.

You can hire a room for your event. Find out more below about the available spaces and how to book.

Public-use rooms

The centre has a range of rooms available for hire in normal circumstances. They are available when the centre is open and can be available at other times by prior arrangement.

All the meeting rooms have wide-screen TVs for presentations and a hearing-loop system.

You can book a single room or two or more for conferences, exhibitions, markets, away days or other larger events. Contact us to discuss your ideas – our experienced team can help you to run a successful event.

The Nigel Gawthrope Performance and Arts Hall (188m²) on the first floor can seat 180 in a theatre-style layout or 130 in a banquet-style layout. It has a sprung floor, theatre lighting and specially designed sound system, so it is ideal for performances, rehearsals, product launches, exercise classes, dinners, parties, weddings, conferences, and large meetings. The hall is also equipped with a laser projector, black-out blinds and equipment to install a stage.

The Downstairs Activity Hall (180m²) is suitable for meetings, exercise classes, parties, dinners, dance classes and much more. It has a sprung wooden floor and a fully equipped kitchen. This versatile space can be divided into two for smaller events and activities.

The Children and Family Wing (165m²) is a home to the centre’s children and family group project, which runs various activities for families and children.

The Nursery Room (126m²) on the first floor is home to Moonbeams Nursery during the school term. It is a self-contained area with toilets, a kitchen and a large enclosed outdoor space. It is available for hire during school holidays.

Meeting Room 1 (58m²) and Meeting Room 2 (46m²) on the first floor can be combined to create a larger room. This flexible space can be used for classes and meetings of any type.

Similarly, the dividing wall between Meeting Room 3 (30m²) and Meeting Room 4 (27m²) on the first floor can be removed to create a larger room. This flexible space can be used for classes and meetings of any type.

Service related queries

For questions about a service we provide, please use our contact us form