By Joe Locker, Local Democracy Reporter
A community centre which helped provide food and support to people in Broxtowe has closed for financial reasons amid claims the Labour Party removed the local political group’s access to a bank account.
The hub, in Chilwell Road, Beeston, was established by the Broxtowe Labour group in around 2018 as a way to provide advice, support and guidance from a centralised location to people across the borough.
It was home to a community food larder and clothing bank, and members also set up a food parcel scheme during the Covid pandemic which helped feed more than 10,000 people.
However, in August, the group was forced to vacate the premises and close the hub.
Cllr Teresa Cullen (Lab), who represents Toton and Chilwell Meadows at Broxtowe Borough Council, sat on the management committee for the centre.
She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the hub had been established ‘democratically’ by using funds raised from union grants as well as their members, of which there were 900 at its peak.
She says the national Labour Party raised issue with how the hub was being funded over a year ago and the signatures on the constituency bank account were changed, thus removing the local group’s access.
The account contained around £11,000, Cllr Cullen said.
Ever since members have been unable to access the account to pay bills and rent on the premises in Chilwell Road.
Cllr Cullen also said the issue also impacted the recent Broxtowe Borough Council elections, when party members were forced to pay out of their own pockets for campaigning.
“We’ve had a really sad time,” she said.
“We set up the community hub way before Covid as we wanted to be able to help the community and hold councillor surgeries. We did some great stuff.
“During Covid it really came into its own. We launched a food bank and won a national award.
“Then all of a sudden someone in the Labour Party raised a question if we were diverting [party] funds to this.
“They started an investigation and froze [us out of] our Broxtowe Labour bank account, but we managed to keep it going.
“The landlord was really good, but when you have rent to pay you cannot just stay there.
“We could not pay our electricity bills. But we had £11,000 in the bank.
“It is really distressing. We made the decision we would have to close the hub but there were already costs incurred because of missed rent.”
Cllr Cullen said the bank account is now under the control of officials higher up in the East Midlands Labour group.
“The Labour Party still has not paid [the rent],” she said. “It is an absolute mess and it does not make sense.
“I have debt collection companies calling me up daily. I pass them on to East Midlands Labour, but it is like a wall of silence.
“It is a local landlord and it is embarrassing for us as the local Labour Party. There is no local democratic oversight of the bank account now.
“We cannot do anything. We are constantly asking the East Midlands Labour office and it is a wall of silence.”
According to Cllr Cullen the investigation, which began over a year ago, has yet to conclude.
Councillor Will Mee (Lab), who represents Kimberley, added: “It’s a massive shame.
“When the national party are focussing on giving more power to communities it is wrong to strip us of the hub which helped so many during Covid and more recently with the cost of living crisis.
“I’m very upset to see it end like this.”
East Midlands Labour was contacted for comment on Thursday, August 17.
A spokeswoman said the group would not be commenting at this time, pending conclusion of the ongoing investigation.
