Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg visits the Cypriot Community Centre in Wood Green
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg visited the Cypriot Community Centre in Wood Green yesterday afternoon after launching the Liberal Democrat’s local election campaign, also present was Lynne Featherstone Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for International Development and the Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green.
Clegg arrived at the Cypriot Community Centre in Wood Green at 12.30pm on Tuesday to meet local people.
After speaking privately to the chair of the centre Susie Constantinides, he greeted assembled users and visitors.
He was then whisked outside for interviews in front of the cameras.
Nick Clegg asked Suzie Constantinides on how many users the centre has and she answered that a recent survey produced by them showed that they were receiving six thousand callers a week and was impressed that it has been going for 30 years..
He added: “The Cypriot centre is a good example of a brilliant community centre, and it’s been around for about thirty years. It raises 80% of its own finances. The council is now paring back the support and grants it gives to the centre, which is wrong.”
Susie Constantinides, chairman of the centre, said: “It’s important that real people have seen him. The reality is that not many people are interested in politics.”
She added: “At the moment we’ve got a small commission grant from the council, but they used to subsidise our lunch service. They say that the government has cut their funding.
“We provide all sorts of services that prevent people from going into old people’s homes, and we save those people’s health, whether physically or emotionally.”
The Cypriot Community Centre in Wood Green exists to provide support structures for all Cypriots, both Greek and Turkish, living in Haringey. The centre provides a range of services including a lunch club, meals on wheels, classes, training and advice services. The centre also runs the Cypriot elderly & disabled group, providing day care.
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