Community Focus is an inclusive arts centre, supporting
everybody in our community to access affordable, high quality arts activities, opportunities and to develop new skills.
On Tuesday 5th March, Community Focus was served with a
shock eviction notice by the landlord the artsdepot (a National Portfolio Organisation funded by Arts Council England) despite a longstanding
relationship as one of the original "community partners" since the
artsdepot opened in 2004. The reason stated was to enable a new dance college
partnership with London Studio Centre - a private dance college charging £12,700 per student per year and accommodating just 300 students.
Last year we worked with over 1500 disadvantaged adults and
young people with a wide range of needs and disabilities. Where will all these people go? Will we be able to secure new premises in time?
Our priority is our responsibility to our client base, some
of the most vulnerable people in the local community. We have invested £140,000 in our all-inclusive arts centre tailor-made to our clients’ needs. The
artsdepot building is a place that our users call ‘home’. We are passionate about the work we do and our clients are bereft as are our staff and
volunteers. Our future in our current home is under threat.
If you believe in all we do at Community
Focus then please sign our petition!
My name is Tim Balogun, I joined Community Focus as director
in 2007 – my team and I are genuinely honoured to be leading a charity that changes the lives of thousands of members of our community. Call me anytime 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: Tim Balogun’s mobile 07930464924 or email our Save Community Focus campaign saveCF@communityfocus.co.uk
Tim Balogun, Director