Community asks council to let them restart games night at hall that became Covid test centre

By Owen Sheppard, local democracy reporter

A group of Afro-Caribbean men and women are hoping that the easing of lockdown will mean they can finally restart their cherished games nights.

But before they get down to lively games of backgammon, dominoes and draughts, they will need a venue in the Queen’s Park or Harrow Road area of north west London.

Their favourite old spot, the Lydford Hall in Chippenham Road, was commandeered as a Covid testing centre, and Westminster Council’s website says it may not be available again until October.

Brian Nicholas, a Queen’s Park Community councillor who helped set up the first weekly games nights in 2019, said it gave the community a valuable opportunity to socialise.

“The group I’m part of had been using it since May 2019 every Thursday and it was well attended,” said Mr Nicholas, 55.

“We were moving towards forming a dominoes team and getting into a national league.

“There would be music and food and it was an opportunity to chat and chill.

“There used to be 30 people and the ages would be from people in their 30s to late 70s. It was more men than women but still a mixture. Some were pensioners and others would come after work.”

He continued: “Without this the older gents just stay at home, and that spirals into loneliness.

“A lot of people talk about awareness of mental health these days, and it’s important they don’t feel isolated.”

June 21 is the date that the Government has repeatedly stated that all lockdown restrictions will be lifted, so that people can socialise indoors in large groups, without social distancing.

The hall was also previously used by events company Happy Lizzy and the Avenues Youth Project.

Mr Nicholas hopes Westminster Council’s public health department will be able to find an alternative location for its testing centre, so that the Lydford can be returned to the community.

“That hall was the only one we could use. There’s so many places you can get tests from now and they have these mobile centres. There’s plenty of other places that testing centres could go,” he said.

And he emphasised that for more elderly Afro-Caribbean men and women, who are sometimes harder for the council to reach because they’re not on social media, such meeting places were all the more vital.

“The Afro-Caribbean community don’t always get the information they need from the council and other organisations because they’re a bit older and they’re not on social media, and maybe don’t notice what comes through their door,” Mr Nicholas said.

“Whereas if the council works with us we can ensure that they can get any information that they require.

“It’s about familiarity. People need each other.”