Ruth Winston Community Centre is a self-funded charity in Palmers Green, Borough of Enfield. The Mayor of Southgate, Cllr Ruth Winston MBE (1958-1959), raised funds to purchase 190 Green Lanes and the Centre was opened by HRH Princess Alexandra in 1961. It aims to connect people through social, recreational and wellbeing activities and events.
Ruth Winston’s history is admirable: pioneered essential communities like ‘Meals on Wheels’ & WRVS, recovered from the devastating fire in 1970 and became an independent registered charity in 2005. Additionally they’ve received many ‘Enfield in Bloom Awards’ and built a strong volunteer network since. However, recently the Centre has struggled to maintain their legacy, with little to no funding and being extremely short staffed, employees worry about insolvency and possible closure.
The Centre receives an average of 50-70 year old members/attendees, as originally established to support older people. However, recently the Centre has evolved to meet the changing needs of the community through diverse programmes e.g., Pilates, Tai Chi, Yoga, Knitting, Ballet barre etc. This has led to an influx of over 18 year old attendees during the evening (after school hours), and they’re most interested in physical and social activities. Now, the Centre has expanded beyond its initial purpose to support only those over 65.
However, the challenges of a ‘self-funding organisation’ has worsened for Ruth Winston in recent years. Manager Maria Isabel Ortiz-Vega, spoke to me about their financial struggles in distress, quote “We are surviving.” Common financial risks involve rising operation costs (utilities, insurance and staff salaries), reduced income (from fundraising, room hire and donations), unexpected building repairs and declining participation. To put it simply, self-funded charities rely on memberships, fundraising, donations and community support to sustain their services. Therefore, accumulated pressure on finances and expenses hinders the continuation of local communities.
She stated they’ve reached out multiple times for a grant but have been unsuccessful. This has impacted the number of staff available, with only 3 full-time members and a few others part-time. Currently, they have 40 volunteers however due to the temporary nature of the role (only commit to 1 hour per week), “…there’s minimal dedication.” Departments such as Marketing and Tutoring are severely short-handed, unable to provide paid work, there’s a heavy reliance on volunteer work.
General Manager Maria and the staff pray for the future of Ruth Winston,
“…we hope we can continue to keep the doors open. People rely on us for not just socialising but a home.”
If a grant is what’s believed will keep their doors open, then it’s important to raise awareness for similar organisations, whose purpose is to uplift communities, to be regarded with empathy about challenging situations.
