Powis Community Centre

Aberdeen, Scotland, founded 1942

Keywords

Slavery-Building

About MeBased in Powis House (built 1802), Powis Community Centre was opened on 7th March 1942. It was the first community centre in Aberdeen and was believed to be the first such centre to be fully funded by a local authority in Scotland.

Powis House was converted by the City Architect A.B. Gardner. It originally included a library branch, a "British Restaurant" and a Child Welfare clinic. the centre provided assistance and lessons for many domestic and craft skills as well as leisure activities. Membership cost 6d per month on opening and the centre was amanged by a committee elected from the members.

Newspaper clippings reveal that the project was seen in the light of a social experiment that placed Aberdeen at the forefront of a social movement.

In 2009 the Council retired from running the Centre, although it retained ownership of the building. The centre will now be run by a committee.

Re-framing the Collection

History and Legacy of Enslavement in Aberdeen

Powis House was built by the Leslies of Powis and maintained using profits from chattel slavery. 