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Matheson is angry. As co-ordinator of the activities at the Old Fire Station, he believes
that Hackney Council has unfairly targeted some projects. This is his personal view of the
situation:
For the past 19 years the Old Fire Station at 61 Leswin Road has been an important centre
for a multitude of activities in the Stoke Newington area. Yoga, Chi Kung, the Latchkey
Project, the Youth Club, an organic food co-operative, Caribbean elderly and others.
However, as a direct result of the £13m overspend by them (the Council), and the
consequential cuts to us, the Youth Club at the Old Fire Station is now closed. This means
the loss of four karate classes, three dance classes, one drama group, two occasional
football teams (one mixed sex), a girls-only night and visits to swimming pools, theatre,
cinema and parks. One full-time and four part-time jobs have gone. This puts over 200
children on to the streets of Stokey. I feel like asking why don't they they just jail the
kids now and cut out the middle man?
The Council officer's recommendation says that the reason for closure is 'inadequate
management'. Some may feel that's a good reason for closure and it would be if it were
true.
However, over the past 16 years the Youth Project has had the same management as Latchkey.
For the past six months, at the insistence of Learning & Leisure (formerly Hackney
Education Department), both have come under the same management asHackney Play
Association. So it would be reasonable to deduce that if the Youth Project management is
'inadequate' then it follows that Hackney Play and the Latchkey Project's management are
equally inadequate as they have the same committee, same meetings and same approval by the
same Council department. Not so! Hackney Play is unscathed and Latchkey actually got a
small increase in their grant.
In normal circumstances only a handful of people would know the official reason for
closure. The report goes on file and this is important it becomes part of the official
record of the Council. You, the public, may believe that it was due to the Council's
financial and managerial incompetence but the record will show that it was the Youth
Project's management that was 'inadequate'.
This is part of the parallel universe in which Hackney Council lives.
Please remember all this when you are wondering how to keep your children amused now that
the dance class is closed or trying to find another football team for your son or
daughter. Understandably, the police have told us they they are concerned about more kids
being out on the streets and are writing to the Council. We are fighting back and are
setting up a working party to co-ordinate action to obtain more funding.
For further information, please write to me at the Old Fire Station.
We intend to publish a regular Speak Out! column. If you feel strongly about anything
happening (or not happening) around Stoke Newington, let us know.
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