Organisers of a children's holiday course have cancelled a session at Redcar Athletic FC after a travellers' encampment occupied the club's Green Lane site, leaving the clubhouse, toilets and pitches closed and families scrambling to find alternative childcare.
Safety concerns lead to cancellation
DT Sports Coaching issued an apology on social media after assessing the situation on Tuesday afternoon and deciding it was not possible to run the course the following day. The post said there was "no movement on getting the caravans away in time" and that, for safety reasons, the venue facilities must remain shut.
"Unfortunately, due to safety concerns regarding tomorrow's holiday course and the current situation with the traveller settlement at Redcar Athletic Football Club, we have made the extremely difficult decision to have to cancel tomorrow's holiday course."
The organisers said they had explored alternative local venues but found none with the capacity or suitability at such short notice. Parents were offered the option to postpone bookings until 27 August or to transfer to another future date.
Local impact and council action
The cancellation follows council action to remove travellers from two sites in the area, including the Green Lane pitch. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council officers have begun efforts to evict the encampments in recent days, but the coaching group said those efforts had not progressed quickly enough to allow the course to proceed.
For families who rely on holiday clubs for childcare, the late notice will be disruptive. In its message the coaching provider acknowledged those pressures, saying it appreciated the inconvenience and that the decision had not been taken lightly.
- Venue affected: Redcar Athletic FC, Green Lane
- Organiser: DT Sports Coaching
- Option offered: Postpone to 27 August or another date
Community sports clubs frequently provide important local childcare and recreation during school holidays. The closure of clubhouse facilities and pitches can therefore have a ripple effect across families and volunteers in the town.
What the council has said and next steps
While the coaching group referenced conversations with authorities and awaited action, there has been no further public detail in the organisers' social media statement about enforcement timetables or how displaced bookings will be handled financially. The coaching provider's public post said they had "hung on until this afternoon to make the decision to give the authorities chance to make some progress with evicting said travellers" but ultimately felt they could not delay further.
Residents and parents affected by the cancellation will be watching for updates from both the club and the council about when facilities will be reopened. The immediate concern for many is arranging alternative childcare at short notice; for the club, there will be practical work to restore pitches and club facilities to a usable condition once the site is cleared.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Event | Holiday course run by DT Sports Coaching |
| Original date | Event due to run the day after the 11 August social media post |
| Postponed to | 27 August (option offered) |
The situation underlines ongoing tensions that can arise when unauthorised encampments occupy community land. Local authority enforcement, the needs of community groups, and the disruption caused to everyday life intersect in ways that require timely co-ordination. In the short term, families in Redcar will be seeking clarity from the club and the council about both the site's reopening and the handling of bookings affected by the disruption.
