Support to stop 'devastating' closure of centre

More than 1,200 people have signed a petition against the closure of a community centre in Leicester.

The St Matthews Community Centre in Malabar Road offers support to families and young people in the St Matthews estate, including childcare, community breakfasts and classes.

Leicester City Council, which owns the facility, announced the building could close as part of plans to save £23m from its budget, and said it would soon make a decision on its future.

The authority added the site was not "sustainable or safe", with council records showing there was reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in the sports hall, a material which can collapse when it reaches the end of its life.

Plans to relocate the library at the site to another location on the estate were also put forward by the city council last year, as part of revised cost-cutting measures.

But the authority is yet to decide what will happen to the rest of the centre.

It is based in the heart of St Matthews, which is consistently ranked among the most deprived neighbourhoods in Leicester, according to research from the London School of Economics (LSE).

Amina Mohammed said she might not have been able to find work in education without the centre.

"The only reason I was able to do it was because I lived here," she said.

Mohammed studied at the centre while her daughter attended nursery in the area.

She added: "People did English here; they used to teach maths, they did computing here. A lot of things used to happen here and now that's going away."

Abdikay Farah runs community workshops in the area and urged more people to sign the petition.

"We can easily lose a centre which is very important," he said.

He added: "We have to stand together and protect our community; our neighbourhood."

Zainab Abdi, who helped set up the petition, which has attracted more than 1,200 signatures in 10 days, volunteers at local non-profit organisation Women 4 Change.

She said she started volunteering at the centre while she was at university, after the Covid-19 lockdown.

"The centre closing down is so disheartening and so sad," she said.

"I started there, it helped me with my career and I can see the impact it has on the young people there at the moment."

She added: "I understand that the centre is not safe at the moment, but they can invest into it."

Independent MP for Leicester South, Shockat Adam, said St Matthews shutting for good would be "devastating" for the community.

He added: "Every time I visit the St Matthews Centre, I see a place where young friendships are formed, women's clubs thrive, and families are supported.

"In an area already lacking facilities, closing it would take more than a building, it would devastate a community that depends on it every day.

"I have raised the alarm in Parliament and urge the Labour-run city council to work with the community to ensure that the essential services provided continue."

A city council spokesperson said: "Leicester City Council undertook a three-month consultation on the future of libraries and community centres in spring 2025, with recommendations published in November.

"St Matthews Centre is not sustainable or safe in the medium to longer-term future due to the poor condition of the building.

"Following feedback from local residents, it is recommended to relocate St Matthews Library and some services to St Matthews Children's, Young People and Family Centre on the same estate. It's not yet been determined what will happen to the site of the current centre.

"The city council will work in partnership with community groups to support them to relocate."

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