THE organiser of a fitness class which helps unite the neighbourhood is hoping to find a new home while a community centre is rebuilt.
Melissa Thompson Adjei-Mensah is looking for a venue to continue the Zumba dance class she has led at the Fatima Community Centre in White City for the past year.
It was one of 14 groups asked to leave by Friday last week to enable Pope John RC Primary School next door to expand.
Our Lady of Fatima Church, which owns the centre, hopes to build a new Fatima Parish Centre next to the church by next autumn, but in the meantime clubs have been forced to find new venues. The Fatima Centre has been a community hub for groups ranging from art and IT classes to sport and a vibrant youth club for more than 30 years.
Mrs Thompson Adjei-Mensah, 30, said: “I was worried we would have to stop but we’re hoping to relocate to the White City Community Centre. It’s my favourite class, it’s for the whole community and the ladies can forget about all their worries for that one hour and have a really nice time."
Mrs Thompson Adjei-Mensah, who has lived on the estate for 10 years and works as a health trainer at the White City Health Centre, said more venues are needed to keep clubs like hers alive.
"The White City Community Centre is quite small and it doesn’t reflect the amount of people who live on the estate. The Fatima Centre was an add-on, which was great. I hope the new halls will be an extension for community use as well. We need a bigger or new centre in the community."
