CAMPAIGNERS have renewed their fight to keep an East Oxford community centre free from city council management.

Oxford City Council told East Oxford Community Association last August it had a year to improve its management or face eviction from its Princes Street base.

This came after the council said it had “serious concerns” about how the association was being run.

Campaigner Chaka Artwell from Barton has united with supporters to stop the association from being forced out of the centre by August 15.

He said: “People are really supportive of this. East Oxford Community Centre should be managed by and managed for the people of East Oxford.”

Mr Artwell, who was elected as campaign co-ordinator at a public meeting on July 6, said residents were “terrified” about city council control of the centre.

He launched a petition last week which has already received more than 100 signatures and plans to hold a public meeting to rally support at the end of the month.

The campaign co-ordinator also uploaded a video to YouTube calling on residents across the city to join his fight.

He said he hoped residents would show their support when he addresses councillors about his concerns at a city council meeting at Oxford Town Hall from 5pm today.

Mr Artwell said: “We are all terrified about what is going to happen next. We have not got much time. What is going to save us is people speaking up.

“East Oxford Community Centre is the most active community centre in the whole of Oxford.

“You can go there anytime of the week and there will be activities.

“It is the most diverse in the whole of this city and that diversity is under threat. It’s unique. We can’t lose it.

“We lost Temple Cowley Pools and if we don’t do something, we are going to lose this as well.”

City council executive director for community services Tim Sadler told the Oxford Mail: “Our intention is to develop the site as a facility for the community and we are progressing well with our plans to modernise and extend the existing facilities.

“We have formed a reference group of local representatives, including the association, to help us identify how services and facilities should be developed. We hope to have a costed scheme on which to carry out consultation later in the year.”