Transforming the Old Spotted Dog Ground and returning it to the community
From "Forest Gate Community Assemblies"
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The Dog at the heart of Newham
There is a shortage of community space in Forest Gate where people of all ages can meet. Clapton Community Football Club aims to address this by creating and sustaining an open, welcoming football ground and diverse community space for recreation and leisure activities at the Old Spotted Dog Ground in Forest Gate, to improve the lives of local people in the London Borough of Newham and the surrounding area.
In Forest Gate South, the Old Spotted Dog Ground’s ward, the Index of Multiple Deprivation (2019) showed 55% of areas within the ward are in decile 2 (the most deprived 10% of areas in England are decile 1 and the least deprived 10% are decile 10).
Responding to local need
Although the Old Spotted Dog Ground is owned by Clapton Football Club Limited, the club has, as a regulated society, a community benefit purpose written into its constitution that says, “the business of the Society is to be conducted for the benefit of the community served by the Club and not for the profit of its members”.
This means that within the constraints of needing to maintain the quality of the pitch, the club aim's to open our doors as much as possible, offering not simply a sports ground but a vibrant community space.