A popular community centre in Kew has been forced to close, leaving many Richmond residents without access to vital services in the run-up to Christmas.
The centre was informed by the landlord that its lease had been suspended with immediate effect and was evicted from the building last week.
LiveWell Kew is operated by the charity Community Whole Care Centres and offers integrated health and community spaces, with a focus on social prescribing.
Centre manager Edward Fisher said: “These people have a community hub that has just evaporated overnight.
“And I don’t think we can quite estimate how much this is going to affect people’s confidence and their loneliness over Christmas.”
The closure of the centre will have a severe impact all those who used the site regularly.
Fisher said: “I know we could step away and decide we’ve lost out here, but I don’t feel like I can step away from a community that cares so much.
“It doesn’t seem fair on people.”
The Richmond area is very short on space and new sites must allow several years to obtain planning permission, making the closure all the more devastating.
The centre was aware that it was coming to the end of its five-year lease but had hoped that it could reach an agreement with the landlords to renew the lease.
After ten months of negotiations the landlords made the final decision last week.
Fisher said: “They ended up supporting the decision to shut our doors in the most cruel manner possible.
“They have seen people of all different ages meeting in the centre, and how much that means to people.
“And yet at the end of these ten months they have not wanted to protect us in some way.
“It’s just made me feel absolutely sick to my core.”
The leaseholder, Primary Health Properties PLC, were contacted for comment.
Fisher said that the site can only be used for NHS related services.
The NHS has already made it clear that they will not be putting any extra funding into the site, making him feel as though the landlords would rather have the site empty than allow the centre to continue its work.
SOOTHING SOUND BATHS: The centre hosts pre and post natal yoga classes, as well as sound baths to help with anxiety (Image credit: Edward Fisher)
The centre supports the NHS by enabling referrals that come from GPs and also by ‘filling in the gaps’ in the community services.
It offers a range of programmes including Parkinson’s fitness and Cancer support classes, as well as creative workshops for all ages.
KNITTING TOGETHER: The centre hosts a weekly knitting group (Image credit: Edward Fisher)
A member of the knitting group said: “Though new to the group, it has been a sanity-saver.
“Joining this group and starting my week off with a bunch of smart, kind women has been very bolstering.
“I’ve arrived sometimes with a lump in my throat, on the edge of tears and feeling very emotionally fragile, but I never fail to leave without feeling calmed, centred and as if I’ve done something useful and productive with my anxiety.”
Since the closure was announced, the group has come together to find a way to keep their sessions running.
The members have created a rota, each taking it in turn to host the group in their homes.
A member of another group, Laura’s Creative Workshop, said: “We were like a little family there, so many lovely life changing stories to be heard, and lifetime friendships created.”
She was concerned about the rising number of people suffering from loneliness and mental health in the community, and was particularly worried about how the closure may impact them.
The council has been criticised for not intervening to save the centre.
Councillor Piers Allen, the Lead Member for Health & Adult Social Care and Chair of the Richmond Health and Wellbeing Board, commented: “LiveWell at Kew provided valuable support to the community, helping residents meet their wellbeing needs and the Council is saddened by its closure.
“Whilst it is unfortunate that the innovative model of using of this site for charitable purposes is not able to continue in this instance, we wish Community Whole Care Centres LiveWell well in bringing its concept of Integrated Community Health and Well Being Centres to fruition in other areas of London.”
LiveWell Kew was modelled on the Bromley By Bow Centre in Northeast London, which was founded back in the eighties with the aim of transforming the community.
After moving into a bombed-out church site, the vicar, Andrew Mawson, quickly realised he had no congregation and instead decided to use the site to support his community.
He offered help with literacy, social security and finances, and also gave artists rooms for their studios.
A GP surgery was later added to the site, making it a model for the modern-day integrated health and community hub.
Featured image credit: Edward Fisher
