Click HERE to enter the Oasis Live ’25 prize draw
One of our key roles is protection and the charity has been one of the first ports of call when community groups in the capital are concerned about the potential loss of a local playing field.
In the last 18 months we have assisted in the following cases.
Bealonians FC
When the possibility of our near neighbours Bealonians FC being evicted from their home in favour of a Premier League football club from another borough raised its head just over a year ago, LPFF was quick to stand side by side with the club officials. Recognising that it was vital to provide a coordinated opposition to the plans, the Foundation assisted in convening and chairing a Sporting Stakeholder Group which included Football Association, Essex CFA, AFA, England and Wales Cricket Board, Sport England, Essex CCC, the Campaign to Protect Rural England and neighbouring Redbridge Sports Centre. In the face of this coordinated opposition, Redbridge Council reversed its original decision to enter into a new long-term lease with the professional club rendering Bealonians FC and its 39 teams safe…..for now.
Finsbury Leisure Centre
The Foundation was approached by a local campaign group EC1 Voices who were very concerned about Islington Council’s plans build new homes on four 5-a-side pitches at Finsbury Leisure Centre. We provided advice on how the group could garner and mobilise support from the likes of Sport England and the London Football Association. The CEO wrote to the Leader of the Council imploring her to reconsider her position given that the borough only had three adult football pitches and could not afford to lose any more vital open space. He also argued that the Council could not ignore the long-term physical, mental and social health benefits of sport and, if they wanted our young people to join teams rather than gangs, they will need more accessible places to play sport not less.
To our great surprise Islington Council performed a U turn and reversed their decision based on the fact that “the proposed housing development would have sacrificed essential community pitches for housing, ignoring the long-term physical, mental and social health benefits of sport”.
Click here to learn more about our protection work
Thanks to Oasis, who rewarded them with tickets, we are able celebrate the role of two campaigners who saved their playing fields for sport and their local communities.
