‘Bring back community centre’
Centre, which hosted activities like children's sports classes and a food bank, was closed suddenly in September
Friday, 27th February — By Daisy Clague
The Ringcross community centre
THE Ringcross Community Centre off Caledonian Road has been boarded up to stop squatters accessing the building.
It remains closed some five months after it first locked its doors, but councillors are determined to bring it back into action.
The centre, which hosted activities like children’s sports classes and a food bank, was closed suddenly in September when the charity that ran it, The Pilion Trust, went into administration.
While the Trust managed the centre, the building is owned by housing association Hyde, and the future of Ringcross lies in its hands. Hyde told the Tribune there are “a number of things we need to do” before deciding on the building’s longer-term future, and that efforts to reopen it had been delayed by the arrival of squatters in December, who have since been evicted.
Islington councillor Heather Staff said: I hope [Hyde] know that their local councillors are on it. For us, it’s about making sure they get the best possible use of that space for the community, and we have stressed strongly that they have to consult with residents on that.”
Cllr Staff added: “You can do a lot online now, but it doesn’t replace that face to face. Community spaces are so important for that.”
Before the Ringcross suddenly closed, one of the organisations that used it was accessible martial arts group, MMA RAP (Mixed Martial Arts For Reform And Progression). Now based in the Whittington Community Centre, its founder Jonathan Buffong said: “Ringcross has been very supportive over the last decade, but we live in a capital city so it’s all about money.
“It’s a loss to the people in the community – there are young people out there committing crimes and being groomed, and there’s nothing for them to attend where they feel unified. Some people don’t want to be at home, so they want to at least go to a community centre or an environment where they feel welcome.”
A spokesperson for Hyde said: “The Ringcross Community Centre has been closed since September 2025 after the Pilion Trust, who ran the centre, stopped operating.
“In December, a group of squatters gained access to the centre. As soon as we became aware of this, we took swift legal action to gain possession of the building, which we’ve now secured.
“We’re currently in the process of assessing the condition of the building to consider next steps.”
