Uncertainty over the reopening of an ice rink in Hornsey after it suffered flooding damage last year has caused distress to several community members.
This includes ice hockey player, Charlie Nevile, who has launched a petition to save the ice rink at the Sobell Centre.
The rink was badly hit by flooding after a Thames Water pipe burst in August last year, resulting in road closures and property damage.
Nevile joined the local club, the Sobell Slappers, after coming out of a therapeutic community for people with mental health issues.
“We used to play on a Monday night and then we’d go to the pub afterwards and I think it made everyone’s Mondays a lot better,” Nevile told Islington Now.
His petition, which has now been signed by over 1,800 people, is seeking a guarantee from Islington Council and its leisure contractors Greenwich Leisure Ltd (GLL) that the rink will be saved and not replaced by something that is cheaper to run.
“We’re trying to put pressure on them to rebuild an ice rink of some description,” Nevile said. “We fear that if we let GLL and others decide, they might take an easier option because ice rinks are not that easy to run and maintain.”
When contacted by Islington Now, Sobell Centre said: “Please note that due to the extensive damage in the flood on 8 August we are still running a reduced service, so some activities are unavailable. We are working hard to get these areas back up and running as soon as possible.”
Since starting the petition, Nevile has noted an outpouring of support for the rink from people of all ages and backgrounds.
One comment on the Change.org petition read: “My daughter began ice-skating here when she was eight, she is now 28 and ice-skating is her job and her passion. This little gem in the heart of a diverse area has given so much to the community it serves. Let’s not take away somewhere that young and old alike use and enjoy.”
Figure skating coach Hannah Dolan Davies, who joined the Sobell Slappers last year, said the petition highlights that, despite being a niche space, the rink closing affects many people.
“I feel a great loss with it not being there…there’s a hole being left for a lot of us and some people have stopped playing ice hockey altogether.”
