Community centre 'needs a miracle' to avoid closing in less than three months

TWO men enjoy coffee and cake and natter away as if they had been lifelong friends.

- By OLIVER PRIDMORE

But these two men, one recently widowed and the other housebound by chronic pain after a mining accident, only met a month ago at Bulwell Hall Community Centre.

Surrounding the two men are a group of mothers and toddlers, some taking part in a Sport England-backed "baby and me" exercise group.

The centre has provided cheap yet vital services to an estate where despite clear need, such services are few and far between.

The centre is one of the last major services still running on the Bulwell Hall Estate. But not for much longer. At the end of June, the dedicated team at the centre will hand over the keys to Nottingham City Council.

The Labour-run authority previously put the future of its community centres in doubt with a heavy-handed approach that prompted the Post's Protect Nottingham Community Centres campaign.

Despite that campaign winning a significant change of approach, the Bulwell Hall team says a lack of income and rising costs means that it still cannot sustain its future.

One of the two men enjoying coffee and cake was 60-year-old Mick Walker. The pain which renders him housebound was caused by an accident at Cotgrave Colliery in 1991, putting an early end to his career.

"This is my lifeline. I'm housebound with chronic pain and this is my one opportunity to get out and meet people," Mr Walker said. "I want to know why this centre is closing when the council had a good level of cash reserve - where has that money gone and who is being held accountable?

"Again we're targeting pensioners, the disabled, again we're targeting mothers and toddlers. Why is it that the working class guy always has to pick up the bill? In the 70s this was a very proud estate. Everybody's gardens were pristine. Now we don't even get roadsweepers around here and the closure of this place will be the nail in the coffin."