How you can help Save Our Club
Islington Boat Club (IBC) were operating on the understanding that they would have access to the site until the water lease with Canals and Rivers Trust expired in March 2024. We were recently informed that the land lease will now expire in January 2023.
Since then IBC have struggled to get clear instructions from the council on how they see the club's future. With their lease due to expire January 2023 and no club to operate from, this has been a traumatic and extremely difficult time for the club, its beneficiaries and its supporters.
Despite attempts, recent and over the past seven years, to negotiate an extension on the lease with Islington Borough Council we have had no success.
Our request is for a short lease extension or granting of site access of 12 to 18 months to allow us to continue serving the community and to look to our future.
We are now fighting for Islington Boat Club to continue operations in City Road Basin for the benefit of the local community.
Please give Islington Boat Club your support by lobbying the council to reconsider and grant an acceptable extension allowing them to use the site and gain access to the water.
This is best done by addressing your letter to Emily Thornberry.
Email: thornberrye@parliament.uk
Post: Rt Hon Emily Thornberry MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
You can copy and paste the wording below or use your own words but we need letters / emails to be sent, appeals to be made and a positive result achieved.
Please cc campaign@islingtonboatclub.com or let us know if you send by post, many thanks.
Time is running out so please take action now before the deadline of the
8th December 2022.
(date of the next Full Council Meeting)
We can do it with your help!
Thank you.
Islington Boat Club
Dear ….
I/We are writing to you to ask that you give your full support for Islington Boat Club’s request to remain on their club site situated at 16-34 Graham Street, London N1 8JX.
Islington Council have not confirmed they are willing to give them a short extension to their lease to allow them to remain on their site for the immediate future. This action will certainly mean the end of what has been, for the last 53 years, a valuable and much loved community asset.
The Islington Boat Club serves the local community with youth activities, an Inclusion programme for young adults with additional needs, over 50’s Upperdeckers programme, alongside extracurricular and enrichment activities for schools, Pupil Referral Units (PRU) and other community groups.
Islington Boat Club also offers a space for socialising and improving individuals mental wellbeing, sessions for local families, the isolated and more vulnerable members of our community.
I/We feel that Islington Council are not appreciating the value of such a community asset. We are in the midst of difficult financial and economic times, the beneficiaries of the club need the Islington Boat Club more than ever.
The Islington Boat Club has plans for their reopening in April 2023, but that future is currently resting on the decisions by Islington Council.
Regards
Other support options are:
Jeremy Corbyn
Email: jeremy.corbyn.mp@parliament.uk
Post: Jeremy Corbyn MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
Letter to the editor of the Islington Tribune
If you have any skills or expertise that you feel could help the club:
