Most of us are completely unaware of the local governance required to run a township, borough or city. Most of us don't participate in town hall meetings or care to be bothered by what the local council does with our taxes. Most of us, however, do not live in the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

The borough recently held a town meeting, which a member of Worldeka staff attended, and it was certainly far from civil. Local charities pleaded with the town council to prevent them from closing down a community center that many charities would not be able to function without. They were also asking for a reconsideration of a withdrawal of funds. After the pleas were heard, the head of the council moved straight into voting procedure for the board without having a community-wide discussion about the pleas. Public outcry at this bold move led many to stand up and shout obscenities, and even walk out of the meeting before it was adjourned. This battle is far from over, and we may start seeing similar battles going on in other town meetings. With serious budget cuts going on, community centers are some of the first things to lose funding or get sold off, so be sure to check with your local councilmen and charities to ensure community centers remain open.

If your town or borough is affected in a similar way to Hammersmith and Fulham, please get involved and save the buildings that house vital community-serving charities. Your city council should have more information on their websites about potential closures and town hall meetings.