'We quit' blow for commmunity centre

nlnews@archant.co.uk
03 December 2009

A THRIVING community centre is in danger of shutting down after its entire management committee announced their shock exit.

The CUFOS centre, in The Avenue, Muswell Hill, was once a derelict railway station but has been a community favourite since the current committee transformed it 20 years ago.

But its future is now in doubt - unless new faces can be found immediately to run the centre when its current lease expires in March 2011.

Lady Val Osmotherly, CUFOS secretary and committee member, said: "This much valued local community centre will close down unless more people come forward who are prepared to help and put a little time and energy back into their community."

Supporters now hope the community can rally once again to save the valuable resource, which is used seven days a week by more than 30 groups.

Pre-school classes, yoga for older people, a Multiple Sclerosis society, Spanish classes and band practices are all held there.

CUFOS - which stands for Community Use For the Old Station - is run by a charity of the same name which leases the building from Alexandra Palace and Park Charitable Trust.

Five trustees make up the current committee, but they feel they have been at the reigns long enough.

"We've all been doing it for 20 years and we feel it's time for some new blood to come in," said Lady Osmotherly.

"The lease will expire in 2011, so it is the time to start getting new people in who can plan for the future. We will still be around to advise, but we don't want to be the signatories for another 10 years."

New lease signatories will need to be found in the next six months to give adequate handover time.

The former station was part of a now defunct railway line and fell into decline after the railway closed in the 1950s.

But in the mid-1980s a group of residents got together and persuaded Haringey it would make a perfect community centre.

Anyone interested is invited to attend the next committee meeting at the CUFOS centre on Monday, December 7 at 8.30pm or the following meeting on Monday, January 4 next year.

To find out more contact enquiries@cufos.org.uk, or ring CUFOS chairwoman Ann Waters on 020 8883 9224, or Lady Val Osmotherly on 020 8883 3724.