The Pilion Trust was commended for the support it provided during Covid from the Ringcross Community Centre

THE doors of a community centre have been locked up after the charity managing it fell into administration.

More than 30 groups, from dance classes to sewing circles, had used the Ringcross Community Centre off the Caledonian Road.

The building is owned by the Hyde Housing providers but has been managed by The Pilion Trust, a stalwart of the borough’s support services for the vulnerable, for the past seven years.

It ran a well-used food bank from the site – helping 360 households a year ­– and the charity also operated a seasonal shelter for young people experiencing homelessness at another location.

But users, neighbours and councillors were dismayed to find the centre shut last week and a message on the Pilion Trust’s website saying “We have closed the charity”.

Files at Companies House show it has gone into liquidation.

Labour ward councillor Heather Staff said councillors were “all unbelievably shocked and saddened” to learn the news, which came to them in an email from Hyde Housing.

Cllr Staff added: “[The Pilion Trust has] been based in the community for a long time and it is a valued space for residents.

“The good thing for us is in our ward we have a couple of other community spaces but obviously you don’t want to see any charity go under.

“It’s hard because that space is leased by Hyde Housing so it’s nothing to do with us. We’re asking Hyde to provide some clarity. What happened? How much did you know?

“And when are we going to get this space back into use?”

Documents on Companies House show the trust’s closure was ordered by a High Court judge on September 10, following a “petition” for compulsory liquidation by HMRC last November – a move that usually occurs when a company owes tax money to the government that it cannot repay.

A further document from October 2 shows that HMRC stripped the Pilion Trust of its leasehold at the Ringcross, which had first been issued by Hyde Housing in 2018 for a 25-year period at the nominal cost of £1 per year.

While it remains a mystery as to what exactly happened and who knew what when, the Pilion Trust’s latest report from its trustees shows that times had been hard for the charity.

Writing in January 2025, they said: “Continuous funding cuts and closures of front line services has created more work for our charity; by increasing the volume of people who require our services at the same time as the financial landscape is decreasing.”

Their report added: “Pilion Trust have become experts at doing even more with even less; but recognise the serious negative impact and emotional strain on the whole organisation is enormous.”

The finances reflected a similar picture. The trust’s income in 2023 was more than £104,000, compared to just £64,000 in 2024 – a nearly 40 per cent decrease.

For years, the Pilion Trust has been seen as a valued voice for vulnerable people in the community – something often reflected in the Tribune’s own pages.

Islington’s communities chief Labour’s Sheila Chapman echoed that councillors were “saddened” to learn of the unexpected insolvency and centre closure.

She said: “We understand that this situation has created uncertainty, and we hope Hyde will begin engaging with the community soon to provide clarity and reassurance.”

Neither the Pilion Trust, which was first created in 2007, nor Hyde Housing responded to the Tribune’s queries this week.