'Unanimous' Support for Southfield Community Centre

Plans for a youth facility open seven days a week a step closer

The group behind plans for a new community centre in Southfield Park are claiming unanimous support for their scheme after holding a public exhibition last Wednesday (April 22nd).

All the attendees were asked about the plans at the event at St Peter's Church Hall, Southfield Road and the organisers say there was not a single voice raised in opposition.

The W4 Youth Group, which was founded by Chiswick resident Sally Chacatte following the shooting of her teenage son, has proposed a Youth and Community Building for Southfield Park.

The group are awaiting confirmation of their bid to get funds for the planning application in May and plan to recruit a fundraiser to work with them to raise the funds for the building. It is anticipated to be a 3-5 year project and once built will provide the young people and community with a 'state of the art' centre and transform the park for maximum use by the community.

Ant and Dec opened their new premises in 2013

Sally says, "The reason for wanting a centre in Southfield Park is that with the Priory Centre and the Carlton Road centre closing and there being no youth provision in the Southfield Ward we have no community space. Our centre will be built for the community and usage by the community where they will be able to use the space in return for their contribution to it. For example there will be a café and we plan to invite the local community to run it for their own use. With this model it makes our centre totally open access rather than too costly for everyone to enjoy."

Sally Chacatte founded W4 Youth six years ago when her son Oli was randomly shot in the face by a group of young men, as she believed it might help the problem of young people having nowhere to go. They hold clubs five nights a week, with activities ranging from dance and drama to sports, photography and outdoor trips.

She says, "Our young people from W4 Youth will have somewhere to go 7 days a week which has been our ambition since starting in 2009."

April 21, 2015