Charity could close due to traveller battle costs
A charity may have to close due to travellers after they had to spend thousands of pounds booting them off their car park.
Since the start of September travellers have set up on the car park of Avon Business and Leisure LTD community centre on two separate occasions.
The charity, which hosts around 40 events a week and was set up in 1968, has seen visitors decline due to the encampments and has also been left with a £5,000 bill which they say they cannot afford.
Social media manager, Peter Rose, said: “We are hiring third party security which is £442 just for a night.
“Just getting them out of the car park has cost us upwards of £3,000 and plus we are getting the gates redone.
“The total is going to come to around £5,000 and we cannot afford that so we may be pushed towards closure.
“We have a parents and toddler group not far from the doors and those kids could have run out into an active car park or a very busy road.
“We have already seen a decline in numbers for the community groups.
The group is a non-profit charity that holds events varying from playgroups for children to exercise classes to help the elderly along with disabled people.
The charity, based on Avon Road, is putting money towards adjusting the access passage at its entrance in order to prevent caravans getting through.
Cannock south councillor Maureen Freeman expressed her support for the charity and said: "I am absolutely disgusted and especially because such a lot of people have meetings there including the elderly.
"The centre serves every member of the community well so it is such a shame.
"It would have cost them money as well because it is not just the travellers arriving but it is the rubbish they leave any damage trying to get into this type of land.
"It is a problem across the West Midlands and I really do feel all authorities across the country should get together on this because it is an increasing problem due to the amount of travellers arriving and the cost to the tax payers.
"It is sad what it has come to. It if effecting the community everywhere. They have been arriving at leisure centres and schools. We need to end the misery for the community and businesses, it is not fair on them."
Donations to help the charity can be made to https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/avon-leisure
