My name is Julia, and I am fundraising on behalf of the Bell Green Forum, a community group which is fighting to save our Asset of Community Value, the Livesey Memorial Hall and Sports Grounds.

The Livesey Memorial Hall has been at the heart of the communities of Bell Green, Sydenham, SE6, for over a century. It was built as the sports and social club for Sydenham Gasworks, and is a group of three stunning Grade II listed structures (Hall, Wall and War Memorial), built in memory of Sir George Livesey, the Chairman of the South Suburban Gas Company.

The whole Livesey site is an Asset of Community Value. The hall operates as an events space, and a boxing club operates in the bowling pavilion, but we are currently prevented from accessing the bulk of the sports grounds, an area of approx. 4 double tennis courts.

The listed structures have been badly neglected by successive landowners for decades, and require urgent works to make them watertight. The War Memorial is already on Historic England's Heritage at Risk List.

Despite the ACV, Lewisham Council permitted it to be sold to Apex Capital Partners without notifying us. Apex want to build flats on the sports grounds, contrary to the London Plan. Along with the Barratt development, this will expose new residents to noise nuisance from the regular operations of the Livesey.

Bell Green has a huge potential for badly-needed new homes. The Bell Green Forum wants new residents to have a good quality of life, and that includes access to community and sports facilities. If Apex is allowed to build on the sports grounds, given that Lewisham Council has closed The Bridge, our leisure centre, there is no way that adequate replacement facilities will be available.

We are fundraising to pay for legal advice, and to cover printing leaflets and posters with a view to becoming a Community Benefit Society.