Skip to content or view screen version

Social facilities in Oxford

Raj | 27.04.2004 22:37 | Social Struggles | Oxford

The writer believes that all is not lost if OCSET, the new Oxford social centre, 220 Cowley Road, Oxford, is closed.

There are alreadly many different social facitlities in Oxford to meet the needs of different groups of people. I think it is quite unreasonable to consider OCSET as the ony true universal one. Let us be honest. It caters for a certain type of person, jusgt as the others do.

There is the conservative club for conservatives, the gladiators’ club for gladiators, some kind of old people’s club for old people, various workers’ clubs for various Cowley workers, and the Crown House Club must be for somebody also. Let us not forget the Asian Social Centre, and the many pubs if one fancies a jar.

Raj

Comments

Hide the following 2 comments

we're not there yet....

28.04.2004 07:50

Sorry Raj don't agree, there are not adequate social facilities in Oxford. Maybe there is some truth in saying that OCSET caters for a certin kind of person, yea, someone who choses to eschew corporate pubs with the landlords bearing down on them, someone who wants to see the profits from their beer/food money going directly back into the community, someone who might like to take their children with them but cant find places where they are allowed, or even beyond 'tolerated' but welcomed and encouraged, someone who wants a community centre genuinely run by the community rather than a clique propping up their own cheap private drinking club (EOCC),
somewhere we can feel is truly an autunomous zone and experience the freedom within that, an escape amongst likeminded people away from adverts & corporate tv blaring in our faces, and somewhere where one of the most active sections of the community can become more effective and active, and create further positive social change.
Permanent social centres are a phenomenon sweeping the country, don't let Oxford get left behind, with all its incredible potential.
check out www.cowleyclub.org.uk in Brighton, then visit it and then come back and comment.

serendipity

All is not lost

29.04.2004 11:55

It's true that "all is not lost". I don't think anyone has claimed that OCSET is the "one true" anything. Raj is tilting at windmills.

The clubs and premises listed are mainly intended for particular types of clientele. Most of them are primarily drinking parlours; the only listed establishments that offer any kind of community resource are the EOCC and the Asian Cultural Centre.

Anyhoo, OCSET is a concept, not a piece of real-estate. If the current premises fall through, I'm sure OCSET has enough momentum behind it to re-open somewhere else. And the existence of that momentum is itself evidence that there is a need in East Oxford for something like OCSET.

Mr. Demeanour