Puddle Jumpers CEO and founder Melanie Tate reduced to tears after Marion Council vote against their lease

An Adelaide charity boss has broken down in a council meeting after it knocked back her third attempt to move her charity organisation into a vacant centre.

The CEO and founder of a not-for-profit food bank that helps SA’s must vulnerable was reduced to tears after a local council denied her organisation access to a new home for a third time.

Melanie Tate, of Puddle Jumpers, was visibly hurt by a recent decision from Marion City Council to not only not proceed with their application to lease the space, but to start the process all over again.

“I’m sick of fighting,” Ms Tate said through her tears.

“We have followed the process the whole way through three times now, it’s not our fault no one else did.

Puddle Jumpers’ Melanie Tate wants to call Marion's former neighbourhood centre home for Puddle Jumpers. Pic: Supplied

“This is not a fair process and the data from both sets of interest showed Puddle Jumpers had an overwhelming amount of support behind it, I don’t know what this council thinks they are doing.”

Marion council initially wanted to revoke the land at 1 Cumbria Court and would look into developing housing when Ms Tate first asked to occupy the space with Puddle Jumpers.

“It would cost them (council) nothing,” she said.

“We would cover all our own costs … there are so many people and their families struggling down south and we believe this would become a step in the right direction.”

Since the initial community consultation, council completed a second round after a number of organisations expressed interest in retaining the former neighbourhood centre.

The Mitchell Park Neighbourhood Centre has been vacant since June 13, after the new Mitchell Park Sports and Community Centre opened.

Council wanted to demolish the site before Puddle Jumpers put their hands up to take the site over to help the city’s most vulnerable.

Ms Tate gave a deputation to council about her organisation and how they can help those struggling with the rising costs of living, earlier this month.

“Just the other day we had a mother and her little boy come who said we’re the only food bank she feels comfortable coming to because her son thinks it’s a playroom and he’s busy with toys while she gets the things they need to survive,” Ms Tate said.

“These people are at the bottom when they come to us and there is nothing more degrading than someone being turned away from a food bank.”

However, at the latest City of Marion Council meeting, councillors were divided over whether or not they should allow Puddle Jumpers to move into the former neighbourhood centre, or to reopen the community consultation for the third time for a ‘fairer’ opportunity.

“By reopening the community consultation, it means there is no preferential treatment to other organisations or charities who wish to be considered,” councillor Jason Veliskou said.

Council are expected to seek another round of community interest in the coming months.

Originally published as Puddle Jumpers CEO and founder Melanie Tate reduced to tears after Marion Council vote against their lease