The team fighting to stop Hammersmith's Irish Cultural Centre from being sold are celebrating this weekend after submitting a petititon to the council containing almost 6,000 signatures.

Campaigners have been out and about across the borough al week gathering support from local people ahead of their deadline of Friday lunchtime.

The aim was to gather 5,000 signatures - but by Friday they had beaten their target by almost 1,000, with more names still being added to the online petition

And after the petition had been delivered to Hammersmith and Fulham Council asking them to reconsider the sale of the centre, organisers issued a statement thanking those who helped.

They said: " Your support has been unbelievable! So many of you have taken our petition to the streets, shops, schools, colleges and businesses of Hammersmith and Fulham.

" So many of you have encouraged colleagues, friends and acquaintances to support London's Irish Cultural Centre. So many people from the Irish community have been heroic in their effors and also so many of our friends from the wider community have been amazing in their support.

"Thank you to all of you for believing on what we do here. We'll keep you posted on progress."

In January 2009, Hammersmith Council agreed to extend the centre's lease from April 2012 to April 2017. They have since announced they will no longer honour their agreement and have instead decided to sell the freehold. The proposed purchase price is between £2m and £2.2m.

The Centre is now looking into every avenue as to how best to raise this amount.

January 14, 2011