Booking space at Big Life's centres

Between the Kath Locke Centre in Moss Side and the Zion Centre in Hulme, The Big Life Group has meeting spaces of all shapes and sizes available for hire.

From the Valerie Suite at the Kath Locke Centre, which can hold up to 80 people, all the way down to our smallest rooms for one-to-one meetings, you should be able to find a space that meets your needs. And, for our larger rooms, we can offer catering, refreshments and great technology if you need it!

How to book

You can browse our many different meeting rooms and community spaces available below.

To book one of our spaces, please contact our Community Centres booking team at bookings@thebiglifegroup.com. Alternatively, you can call the Kath Locke Centre at 0161 455 0211 or the Zion Community Resource Centre at 0161 226 5412 to make an enquiry.

Booking for tenants

Tenants at our centres can now book rooms through Clearooms, a single system for you to make and manage room bookings for all of the meeting spaces listed above. The new system removes the need to call or email reception to book a room.

You can log into Clearooms here, and be taken straight to a page where you can see room availability and make a booking. The system is hopefully nice and straightforward to use, but we have provided some guidance that takes you through how to book step by step and a Frequently Asked Questions document.

Refreshments and catering

We can offer everything from full hot meals to teas, coffees and biscuits at the Valerie Suite, Birley Suite, The PSV, The Aaben and Kath Locke Training Suite.

Simply speak to our booking team about your catering or refreshments needs when booking your space and we’ll sort the rest!

Our spaces

The Valerie Suite, Kath Locke Centre

The Valerie Suite is our largest space, and our most flexible. It can hold up to 80 people, in cabaret or theatre style, or as a large empty space. The room has a large dropdown projection screen and a built-in sound system. Users can access outside space directly from the Valerie Suite; as it also benefits from natural light and a trauma-informed colour scheme, the room is the perfect space for full day meetings that will keep guests energised and engaged. The walls of the Valerie Suite are decorated with portraits of the people who have made Big Life the place it is today, and tell the story of our development.

Please note that the Valerie Suite can only be booked for half day or full day blocks, rather than hourly. The Valerie Suite is also available to be booked on Saturdays.

Room arrangements: theatre, banquet, cabaret, U-shape, boardroom.
Cost: £210 per half day

The Birley Suite, Kath Locke Centre

The Birley Suite, a brand-new space on the Kath Locke’s ground floor, is perfect for everything from boardroom meetings to wellbeing activities. It can hold up to 20 people and can be arranged in a boardroom or theatre style, or as a large clear space. The room benefits from a state-of-the-art touchscreen, including digital whiteboard capabilities and a built-in sound system. The room is named after the Old Birley Tree, a vital landmark in Moss Side and Hulme’s activist history, and offers direct access to the Kath Locke Heritage Exhibition and café.

Room arrangements: theatre, U-shape, boardroom.
Cost: £22 per hour

The PSV, Zion Centre

Located on the Zion Centre’s ground floor, The PSV (also known as G5) can hold up to 25 people in a boardroom or classroom style, or as a flexible empty space, making it ideal for everything from meetings and training sessions to wellbeing activities. The room benefits from a digital screen, while artwork telling the history of the global street paper movement immerses users in the world of activism and positive change.

Room arrangements: theatre, U-shape, boardroom.
Cost: £22 per hour

The Aaben, Zion Centre

Located on the Zion Centre’s ground floor, The Aaben (also known as G6) can hold up to 25 people in a boardroom or classroom style, or as a flexible empty space. It also has access to outdoor space and a sink in the room, making it popular for art workshops and wellbeing activities.

Room arrangements: theatre, U-shape, boardroom.
Cost: £22 per hour

Training Suite (Kath Locke Centre)

The Training Suite on the second floor of the Kath Locke centre is the ideal space for up to 30 people to meet in a cabaret or theatre style. There is a large digital screen which can be accessed wirelessly, and a second TV available for surround viewing. The room features large windows which span two walls, so benefits from plenty of natural light and a calming view of the gardens. Refreshments and catering can also be booked for meetings in this room.

Room arrangements: theatre, cabaret, U-shape, circle.
Cost: £105 per half day / £27 per hour

Training Suite (Stretford Road Hub)

The Training Suite on the first floor of our Stretford Road Hub is the ideal space for up to 10 people to meet in a boardroom style. A large digital screen can be accessed wirelessly, and the room benefits from a dedicated kitchen and bathroom for use by users of the suite.

Room arrangements: boardroom.
Cost: No charge

G12, Zion Centre

This space can hold meetings for up to eight people.

Cost: £15 per hour

F12, Kath Locke Centre

This space can hold meetings for up to six people.