Members of a community football club were surprised by a councillor’s suggestion that their premises should be used as a warm hub.
Mile Oak Football Club is in talks with Brighton and Hove City Council about making more use of the pavilion building between Graham Avenue and College Close, Portslade.
The football club has a licence to share the building with Pavilion Nursery and a table tennis club. The nursery is due to move to Mile Oak Primary School’s site next January.
Mile Oak FC’s youth secretary Karl Gillingham was surprised to learn of a proposal to use building as a warm hub for people struggling to pay their energy bills.
The suggestion was made by Independent councillor Anne Pissaridou, one of two representatives for North Portslade.
Councillor Pissaridou said that she had written to the Green leader of the council Phélim Mac Cafferty about using the building as a social space where people could warm up and have “a cup of tea and a chat”.
Mr Gillingham said that the club had a 25-year licence to use the building for its weekend and midweek football fixtures and was in talks with the council about extending that use.
With 21 youth teams and the growing popularity of the women’s game, he said that the pavilion made the ideal base for the club’s 350 members.
He said: “As part of these discussions (with the council), the club has confirmed we wish to support the community with various projects which may be required during our licence term and, as discussions continue, a full project plan will be shared.
“We are in a great position to achieve fantastic things for the community as a volunteer club. This includes continuing our relationship with the table tennis club and supporting their needs.
“It is disappointing that the club was not contacted by councillor Anne Pissaridou before requesting for the proposal to be published.
“Not only because the information was inaccurate due to the nursery not leaving as early as October but because the club is in a great position to utilise its network to work with the community on schemes such as this.”
Mr Gillingham said that Councillor Pissaridou was present at a meeting with the council on a separate matter but the pavilion was not discussed.
He added: “The club certainly wishes to support community schemes and projects. We have done this in past years and especially during covid, arranging and donating to the Purple People Kitchen.
“However, we can’t confirm any support to councillor Anne Pissaridou’s proposal as we’ve not been consulted with.”
Mr Gillingham invited anyone interested in knowing more about the club’s plans to email mileoakyouth@gmail.com.
Another Independent councillor Peter Atkinson, who also represents North Portslade, was also surprised at the announcement as he is in regular contact with the club.
He said: “What Councillor Pissaridou inexplicably fails to mention is that the football club have been in discussion with the council for some months now to extend their use of this building to provide facilities for young football players – the club just having joined forces with Mile Oak Wanderers.
“Both Councillor Pissaridou and I have been involved in these discussions. Surely, before contacting the council to suggest what she has, she could have paid Mile Oak FC the courtesy of talking it through with them, as they will most likely be the main custodians of this building in the future.
“I’m sure the club would wish to support community projects as it has done for some time now, such as multiple food bank donations over the past four years.”
He suggested Hazelholt and other council-owned sheltered housing could provide warm places.
Councillor Pissaridou has requested her warm hub proposal go before the council’s Health and Wellbeing Board and is waiting to hear back from Councillor Mac Cafferty.
She said: “I was rather surprised to hear that the Mile Oak Football club (MOFC) are upset that we may use this pavilion for warm spaces for our local residents.
“I chaired a very amicable meeting with MOFC this week about the refurbishment of Mile Oak recreation ground. They were aware of my proposed initiative and very supportive, and we agreed to work together for the benefit of our local community going forward.
“Hazelholt is a council sheltered accommodation – it is people’s homes and therefore the communal lounge would not be appropriate for a drop-in centre for families, etc. And with the door entry systems, it may present safeguarding issues.”
