The Meridian Centre is a charity (1155297) based in Bradford, West Yorkshire. Started in 1984, we now engage around 2500 adults, children and young people annually across our various educational programmes.
We are situated in Manningham, the fourth most income deprived constituency in England (11.4% of the population claim out of work benefit) where 28.6% of children live below the poverty line. The drug poisoning death rate in Bradford is highest in country.
Bradford has a working age population that is due to increase by 1200 people per year over the next ten years. In lieu of this our charity’s objectives are to advance education, training and psychological well-being, in particular amongst the South Asian and Eastern European (predominantly Roma) populations we serve in Manningham (88% BAME – less than 27% have achieved degree level qualifications or equivalents compared with a national figure of 37.1%), which contribute to social cohesion (the riots of 2001 and 1996 still scar the landscape), improve employability, well-being and resilience and combat social exclusion.
We provide crèche and nursery facilities to support the participation of those for whom childcare usually prevents participation. This is predominantly South Asian and Roma women – over 22% of whom were engaging in education for the first time.
Breaking the Silence, is our psychological well-being and psychotherapy project, supporting male survivors of rape and sexual abuse, from within our communities.
The Meridian Centre Ltd.
61 St. Paul’s Road
Bradford
BD8 7LS