The Pirate Castle on the canalside in Camden Town

THE landmark Pirate Castle has warned “it’s sink or swim time” for the charity after 54 years in Camden Town.

The boating charity on the Regent’s Canal, which worked with 4,000 children last year, has suffered losses of around £100,000 since the coronavirus pandemic hit.

A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to “save the Pirate Castle” with a target of £40,000 by mid-March.

Jobs losses and closure could come into effect by June.

Manager Kai Webb said: “We’ve worked really really hard since the first lockdown, adapting services. We’ve had emergency grants in but we’ve not had as much support as we could have done.”

She added: “Being able to survive beyond June is really unlikely – it’s not looking good, we will have to start closing down.”

Ms Webb said it was heartbreaking last year that over-subscribed schemes had to be pulled because of Covid restrictions.

She said: “We work with local schools, primary and secondaries, and we have the only fully accessible canal boat that can be driven by a disabled person in London. But we rely on the hall hire so we can offer affordable and free services to the community.”

The Pirate Castle – with its striking fortress style building by the canalside – has since 1966 run kayaking, canoeing and bell-boating classes as well as a range of training and volunteer schemes.

The funds are needed to maintain free and affordable projects for children, disability groups and disadvantaged groups who would not normally get a chance to take part.

Holborn and St Pancras MP Keir Starmer is due to visit the charity to give a boost to the fund­raising campaign. “We’re facing the biggest challenge of our 54-year history,” the appeal said.

It can be found at: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/save-the-pirate-castle

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