Docklands settlements need temporary premises to maintain community work
A CASH-strapped Isle of Dogs charity desperately needs help to find temporary premises and hopes a Canary Wharf company will step in to help.
The Docklands Settlement, in East Ferry Road, is the main community centre on the Island and is used by more than 1,000 people every week, including beaver scouts, pensioners and groups from Bangladesh, Vietnam and Portugal.
But the charity is housed in an ageing building, built in 1905, which is nearing the end of its useful life. It’s crumbling away and plans are in place to demolish it and build a new facility later this year, but that will present the charity with a headache, as Steve Hill, manager of the centre, explained.
He said: “We’ll have to find somewhere else for all our activities to be held for at least 18 months. The problem is, we can’t find anywhere locally.
“It would be fantastic if there were a company which might have some space we could use while our rebuilding is going on.
“There are so many people who use the centre for such a variety of uses it would be devastating for them if they had to stop.
“We do a lot of sports, like judo and cricket, which are vital for the kids in the area but we also have groups like mothers and toddlers who come here every day. We are a vital part of the fabric of the local community.�
Docklands Settlement’s problems don’t stop there. The charity, which also has centres in Rotherhithe and Stratford, doesn’t receive any funding from Tower Hamlets council, and relies on the fundraising efforts of volunteers and the generosity of businesses.
Mr Hill, along with colleague Gerry Diver, runs the centre’s varied programme on a shoestring budget.
“We really need a cash injection to take on a regular activity co-ordinator,� said Mr Hill.
“Gerry and I are stretched to breaking point and it would be a huge step forward to have a co-ordinator. That would free me up to do more fundraising.�
If you think you can help contact Steve Hill on stevedsiod@aol.com or 020 7538 3292
simon.hayes@wharf.co.uk
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