A man said he feels "betrayed" as he's facing eviction from a Nottingham community centre. Phil Merry, 39, has told of his anger after being notified that he could be evicted by Nottingham City Council.
He has followed on his dad's steps who has been going into the Mapperley Community Centre since he was 15. The Mapperley Community Association, formally Mapperley Institute, has occupied the building on Woodborough Road since 1957.
But in a meeting called by the Nottingham City Council on February 7, the committee at the centre were given two options in a discussion about the future of the centre. Mr Merry said: "We have been told to either hand over the keys that evening and let them consider the possibilities of relocating us, or the eviction notice.
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"Basically, the way I would describe the options is 'we can do it the easy way or we can do it the hard way'", he added. Mr Merry added that they were given six months to leave the premises, however the Nottingham City Council said "no decision has been taken on either side at this time".
Mr Merry went on and said: "My father is the chairman of the association, and he actually started going into the Mapperley Community Centre because he is Mapperley born and bred.
"By the age of 18 he was in the committee and he is now 72. He started taking me there as a small child, and I then joined the committee at 15."
He added: "I do not know life without the Mapperley Community Centre. The building was built almost as a room for underprivileged people. And we now run a reasonably successful community centre.
"I think because of my long standing commitment to the community centre I may sound big headed, but I think our community centre is beautiful inside, it is well kept and it serves its purpose to run as a community centre.
"I have still got this fighting inside me. I do not think that building should be used for anything else that what it was originally made for."
He said that half of the building was erected by William Crane as a war memorial to the members of Mapperley who lost their lives in the First World War. Mr Merry said that the purpose of the building was to serve the community.
Mr Merry, who is now the manager and treasurer at the centre, added: "We feel betrayed. We have raised money for repairs, we have modernised the centre, so our footprints were good.
"I feel very, very betrayed by the council. And I feel very angry because I have put so much voluntary time into this.
"I met my wife 21 years ago, and unfortunately for her, I think part of the package of meeting with me is that I came with the community centre. She stepped in and helped me, and she also became part of the community centre.
"I have been taken there by my father right from being a very, very small boy. I do not know life without the community centre."
A Nottingham City Council spokesperson said: “As part of our ongoing work under the Together For Nottingham Plan, the Council is carrying out a review of all community assets and buildings to make sure they are providing the best value to local taxpayers.
“Mapperley Community Centre has been included in this and earlier this week we had an initial, informal conversation with the association which runs it. Like a number of venues across the country, usage numbers have tailed off since the pandemic as people’s lifestyles and priorities have changed.
“We appreciate that fewer people are using this community centre, while a sizable proportion of the building is taken up by a members-only snooker club. Even with membership open to the local community, numbers are still very small with some living outside the city.
“We’ve suggested to the association that they could hand the keys back to the Council and we’ll work with them to find alternative venues for their activities. We’re happy to continue to discuss the matter and no decision has been taken on either side at this time.”
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