A music teacher who raised £11,000 to replace a rundown public football pitch two years ago has branded the council “dishonest” as work is yet to start.
Mum-of-three Alex Lyons launched a community crowdfunder to build a new sports court to replace the existing asphalt pitch in Stationers Park in April 2022.
Her campaign raised around £11,000, with Haringey Council promising “at least” a further £20,000 to bankroll the development.
But the Weston Park School music teacher has now said that the slow pace of the project has left her “irritated”, and wondering if it will ever even happen.
She told Ham and High: “I just feel really embarrassed that I did this big campaign and people gave their hard-earned cash when this was two years ago.
“It feels a bit dishonest [from the council]. I asked the community in good faith for their money and it’s just so slow.”
Alex, whose 14-year-old son Oscar is “football-mad” and runs a £3 training session for youngsters every Sunday, said she was worried her children would “be grown up” before the new pitch is built.
She said: “These people who donated are mostly parents and if their children have grown up by the time it’s done, it’s not fair.
“The pitch is in a really bad state of repair. It shouldn’t even be up to the local community to fund it, but we wanted it and it’s really well used.”
Haringey Council has since admitted that while the upgrade has taken longer than it would have liked, it is aiming to complete work by the end of March.
It has also reaffirmed its commitment to invest at least £20,000 in the cost of the development.
But Alex said that this timeframe seemed short, as work has not begun and she has not yet been asked for the funds raised by the community two years ago.
She added that inflation meant that prices had increased since 2022, and that the cash committed to the project might no longer be enough to finish it.
Cllr Emily Arkell, Haringey’s cabinet member for communities, culture and leisure, said: “We are keen to collaborate with the community to co-produce improvements in our parks and are very grateful to Alex Lyons for taking the initiative to set up the Crowdfunder campaign and raise funds for this project.
She added: “I know how important it is for our residents to have access to high quality sports facilities, including in our parks and open spaces.
“As well as the ball court upgrade, we are investing almost £100,000 into the tennis courts and will follow up with a further £50,000 for play and other features in Stationers Park.”
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