Coram’s Fields

• WE were disappointed to read the letter by the Coram’s Fields User Group (CFUG) regarding proposals under consultation to provide drinks in Coram’s Fields, after closing, for some of those hiring our football pitches, (We are against the idea of a pop-up pub, February 18).

Unfortunately the letter failed to provide important context to these proposals.

It is true that we have issued a consultation to those hiring our pitches, but this is one of several options being considered to support the charity’s recovery from the pandemic, and its longer-term sustainability.

As with any opportunities for the alternative use of the park, the impact on children is always our most important consideration.

For this reason, the proposals under consultation are for our café to open only after park closing, ensuring no direct impact on the use of our park by children during normal opening hours. Coram’s Fields has been hit incredibly hard by the pandemic.

In order to remain open to families during normal times we rely on income from our football pitch hire, hall hires and park events, as they make up a third of our annual income and are critical in paying for the maintenance and upkeep of our park.

The current closure means that we are losing around £1,500 of income per day.

Despite the considerable financial challenges faced, we know how critical our space has been for local families during the pandemic and have been very proud to keep our doors open.

We are incredibly grateful for the support that our local community has shown, in particular through our emergency appeal.

The next 12 months will be extremely challenging for the charity. However, we are committed to making sure that Coram’s Fields remains open for local families.

To achieve this, we know that we will need to explore a range of alternatives to diversify our income and we welcome any suggestions from our community on ways we can do this.

We very much need our community to come together and support us during these difficult times.

STUART WOODS
CEO, Coram’s Fields