Community hub closure after 40 years 'a real blow'

Sharon Shamir's twins will have to travel further for nursery

A mother of twins has described the closure after 40 years of a south-east London community centre, which includes a non-profit nursery, as "a real blow".

St Andrew's Centre, in Brockley, which also offers play groups, sports, drama and pensioner clubs, as well as other community services, is set to close on Friday.

Sharon Shamir, who also runs a local food bank, said: "The idea it could close so abruptly without any effort to save it is really heart-breaking."

The trustees board has not commented but in a letter to parents in August chair Deborah Douglas wrote the decision had "not been made lightly", and apologised for "any inconvenience and distress this may cause to you and your family".

The community wants it to remain open

Ms Douglas said in the letter: "The primary reason for this closure is the increasing cost of running our services, which has placed an unsustainable financial burden on the centre.

"We understand how important this service is to you. We thank you for the trust and support you have shown to St Andrews over the years."

Ms Shamir added she had sympathy for the staff, some of whom had worked there for decades, and said parents had tried "everything we can" to keep it open.

She said: "It doesn’t feel right it could close under these circumstances and I don’t want to give up until we’ve exhausted all avenues.

"It's a community nursery in the true sense of the world - it’s a significant loss to this community.

"There’s a real sense of frustration with the lack of engagement from trustees."

St Andrew’s Centre is located inside the local church

Another parent whose son has been in the nursery from the age of three said she was "really disappointed" that four weeks' notice had been given to "staff who've been here for decades".

Roisin Keville said: "I think it's actually astonishing that they've treated people like this.

"I think the fact that this community centre has been closed is a massive loss for this community and I think people are underestimating the human impact of this situation."

Roisin Keville and her son Iyama

She added: "They're underestimating that this community centre is a protective factor for this community."

She said the board of trustees had "refused to engage with any parent".

"They've not conducted themselves in a charitable way at all, because if they'd come to us six months ago, we could have come together as a collective," she said.

"We could have tried to find a solution to stop this happening."

A Lewisham Council spokesperson said: "The early years team at Lewisham Council has contacted this organisation to offer business support and we can also assist local parents to find alternative provision for their children.

"The council is unable to comment further on this closure because St Andrew's community hall is not a council asset that we directly manage or control."