The £4.3 million enterprise and community centre in the heart of Manningham is set to expand during 2006 and

Gurdev Dahele MBE, chief executive of the Carlisle Business Centre, hopes a state-of-the-art £80,000 gym and nursery facilities will build on the success of the complex.

Around 3,500 people a month attended job fairs, conferences and community events at the centre.

Mr Dahele said: "When the centre was opened, unemployment was high, parts of the area were run down and youth in the district were alienated.

"We wanted to tackle unemployment and look at business start-up opportunities.

"The directors also wanted to help regenerate the area.

"We identified a need for a business centre alongside a community unit with training and conference facilities.

"Ten years on, the centre has been instrumental in rebuilding the confidence of the community and raising awareness of the opportunities available.

"People have a negative viewpoint of Manningham, but when they come to the centre and the area their views change completely."

Managed workspace at the complex, run and owned by community regeneration body ABL, is used by small business and community organisations.

Mr Dahele, awarded an MBE in the 1996 Honours List for services to regeneration, hopes new gym and nursery facilities will attract even more people.

"People have expressed a need for a community gym," he said.

"We are looking at funding now and hope to open the gym in April this year.

"It will not be like the many commercial gyms you can find but will instead work hand-in-hand with the Manningham Healthy Living Initiative."

The £2 million campaign, launched in autumn 2004, aims to reduce health-related problems by educating residents on the benefits of healthy living by improving their diet, housing and lifestyle.

If given the green light, local residents will use the gym in a bid to help reduce statistics which show premature death rates are 50 per cent higher in the area than the national average.

Mr Dahele believes a multi-faith nursery would also have an important role to play in the regeneration of the area.

"If research we are currently doing is positive we hope to open the nursery in November this year," added Mr Dahele.

More than 250 people operate from the centre's business start-up units - with an equal mix of white and Asian entrepreneurs.

Since launching at the centre in July 2005, fledgling firm Easycraft Cards has tripled in size.

Founder and partner Naweed Hussain, 23, said basing the firm at the Carlisle Business Centre had helped Easycraft grow "quite tremendously".

Mr Hussian said: "We started with a £150,000 investment and one unit at the centre back in July and now have three.

"Since launching we have produced 90,000 cards which we sell to wholesalers in the hobbycraft market.

"We have had some tremendous support given to us by the centre and its management.

"We always felt this was the right place to start up our business and we are committed to staying here in Manningham and at the centre."

Easycraft employs a team of seven freelance artists from throughout West Yorkshire who produce a range of high-quality cards and card kits.

The company has grown to such an extent that Mr Hussain and his partners are now looking at opening a retail shop in Bradford city centre within the coming year.

"The Carlisle Business Centre provides an all-round, holistic support service for start-up firms and has been fantastic for us," added Mr Hussain.

In contrast to Easycraft Cards, Multicultural Book Services have been a long-term tenant at the centre.

Owner Aamir Darr, 44, launched the business - which provides a huge range of multicultural books to schools and colleges - and general readers - in 2000.

He said: "The main advantage to me of being at the Carlisle Business Centre has been the conference facilities.

"Many people use them and then come down to have a look at what I have got to offer.

"There are also great parking facilities and an on-site caf."

Mr Darr, of Heaton, is now looking for larger premises but believes launching his business at the centre has played a major role in its success.

Plans are now afoot to convert unused buildings near to the centre into units which will provide further space for business start-up opportunities - in conjunction with regeneration body Yorkshire Forward.

And £20,000 profit made during 2005 will be ploughed back into the community and used to support projects including youth groups and summer camps.

Highlights at the centre during 2005 included a visit from the BBC Radio Asian Network, who used the centre during the General Election to host a three-party live debate, and a drama seminar funded by the DTI to raise awareness of equality in the workplace.

Next July will see the centre celebrate its tenth anniversary.

"Our mission is to bring economic regeneration to an area where people want to live and work," added Mr Dahele.

"We feel it is very important to encourage different faiths and ethnic groups to come together. Our success is built on that."