Hornsey Vale Community Association has been running the Community Centre since 1991. When Stationers School was closed in 1983, Haringey Council proposed it should be turned into a local community centre, following pressure from local residents. Many local people became involved in a Steering Group to take it forward. Due to financial pressures, the Council sold off part of the building - the land
was eventually used to build Abyssinia Court Close Care development run by Hornsey Housing Trust. Local people campaigned long and hard for the remaining part of the old school to be kept and turned into a community centre. In fact, the Council used the building for a short time for Hornsey Ridge After School Club. The Steering Group had by then formed Hornsey Vale Community Association, and had very limited use of the building. As a result of further financial pressure, the Council decided it could not run the centre and presented the Community Association with an option to take it over and run it. A business plan was drawn up and accepted by the Council in early 1991, and we were given the keys to the building in April of that year. Originally the Centre was known as Stationers Community Centre, as Stationers School (the original building) had been in the area for a long time, and the adjacent park had been called Stationers Park. The name was changed to Hornsey Vale Community Association in 2000. All the bookings, administration and other work was carried out by members of the Management Committee. As the work increased it was no longer viable to run the Centre on this voluntary basis. The condition of the building was also deteriorating. We applied to the National Lottery Charities Board (now known as the NL Communities Fund) for a grant to refurbish the building and employ a Co-ordinator. Our second application was successful. The building was closed for refurbishment and re-opened in May 2000 with a May Gala. As a result of the building work, the Centre was made more accessible, with ramps, wider doors and larger toilets. The Centre employs two part time members of staff and is actively fundraising to create more capacity. The Community Association is a registered charity (No. 1011127) and also a Company Limited by Guarantee.
