Holly Lodge’s proud history

Published: 1 September, 2011

• I WAS horrified to read of the council’s cut of £30,000 core grant to Holly Lodge Community Centre.

I have lived on Holly Lodge since 1965 and know the centre is the lifeblood of this beautiful but isolated estate. When I was younger I made friends and took part in leisure and educational activities.

In later years I have come to appreciate the shopping bus and the very good affordable meals served up in a welcoming atmosphere at the luncheon club.

The Christmas event is always well attended by those older residents from the sheltered housing block as well as many families who live on the estate and benefit from its services.

Contrary to popular belief we are not all super rich.

As well as fabulous houses, Holly Lodge houses many pseudo-Tudor-style flats; some residents still live in bedsits with shared bathrooms.

For 200 years since the estate was founded by the royal banker Thomas Coutts, a tradition of tolerance and goodwill which crosses economic barriers has been upheld; rare enough today.

It would be tragic if a Labour council were to wipe out that proud history to save a paltry £30,000.

JUNE ROSE, N6

Register concern

• FROM art classes to meditation, from film-making workshops to laundry services, from luncheon clubs to internet access, the community centre is widely used by all age groups and is a critical pillar of the Holly Lodge community.

Yet Camden Council is proposing to slash its funding, which could force it to close.

I condemn this unreservedly. The Holly Lodge estate is an extraordinary example of a successful mixed tenure estate with low rise blocks, green spaces, communal facilities and a strong communal spirit.

We should seek to replicate this model of how to make community work, not rip its heart out.

The council will be discussing the funding for Holly Lodge Community Centre at 7pm on September 7 at Camden Town Hall.

I urge everyone who can to attend this meeting and to register your concern in the strongest terms possible.

ALEXIS ROWELL
Green Party candidate
Highgate by-election