Bold Politics has provided £50 of match funding
Help Keep Our Beloved Centre Cool
Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
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Aim
The heat is ramping up. We're taking action to make our Community Centre a cool, safe space to be. But we need your help!
The Florence Park Community Centre is a lifeline for so many people in the community — a place for older residents to meet and eat, for young families to gather, and for everyone in between to feel welcome. It's also a much-loved live music venue and gig space — and anyone who's danced through a packed show here on a warm night knows exactly how hot it can get! As the changing climate gives us hotter and hotter summers, keeping the building cool and comfortable — for community sessions and gig nights alike — has become a real challenge.
That's why WE NEED YOUR HELP - to cover the costs of short-term cooling, and to fund a proper sustainable long-term plan.
What we've already done
- Insulated the ceiling in the main hall, to help keep heat out during the day
- Opened up and improved our ventilation, including a passive ventilation system to help cool the building naturally in the evenings
- Draught-proofed the bar chiller room and fitted a new door to help retain cool air
- Installed short-term fans to get us through the worst of the heat, thanks to a kind supporter
- Installed solar panels and a battery to help power the cooling measures we need in the lowest-carbon way we can
What's next
As the heatwaves started to hit, a kind local supporter stepped in and bought four efficient but powerful bladeless fans for us. They were happy to temporarily front the money, but now need to be paid back. Plus we need to buy one more fan, for the Sheila Tree room.
At the same time, we need funds for a proper long-term solution. Our local City Councillor, Ed Mundy, has found us £840 from local infrastructure funds to help with this, but it’s not enough to cover the full plan. So we need your help with that too.
We need to raise £1,380
- The first £540 will pay back our generous anonymous local funder for the fans, and buy one more.
- The next £840 will cover half the costs of commissioning a long-term heating and cooling plan for the building from sustainability experts, so we can make lasting, low-carbon, energy-efficient improvements rather than relying on short-term fixes.
- That £840 will be matched by £840 from local infrastructure funds, to give us the full £1,680 we need for the plan.
- Total we need to raise: £540 + £840 = £1,380
Once we have a properly detailed and costed improvement plan, we will be able to start approaching big funders, trusts and foundations to pay for the work to happen. Any money we raise beyond the £1,380 will go directly toward further cooling and energy-saving measures for the centre — benefiting everyone who uses this space for years to come, from regular community groups to gig-goers packing out the hall.
Why this matters
Extreme heat isn't just uncomfortable — it's a genuine health risk for older people, young children, and anyone with health conditions. It also affects how safely and comfortably we can host gigs and events, especially when the hall is packed. By supporting this crowdfunder, you're helping make sure our centre stays a safe, welcoming space whatever the weather does — and whatever's on the bill.
Every pound helps us build a cooler, safer centre for the whole community — including the gig nights we all love. Please donate what you can, and share this page with friends, family and neighbours.
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 25th September 2026 at 3:46pm