New gym facilities for women in Southall?
Sun 28 Aug 2022
This is to ensure that female members of the community have access to high-quality, safe and convenient facilities to exercise and keep physically active.
These are NOT new facilities but replacement facilities for the closure of Southall Sports Centre earlier this year. Do they even replace the lost facilities?
The previous facilities were at the centre of Southall. These are at the outskirts of Southall, not an ideal location.
Southall Sports Centre was located on the site of Southall Community College (part of the West London College group), on Beaconsfield Road. All the buildings are owned by West London College.
West London College informed Ealing Council in 2020 of its plans to convert the sports centre building into a high-quality construction academy.
Ealing Council tells us it was given notice in October 2021 to vacate the sports centre at the end of March 2022.
So, there has been no woman-only gym for 5 months.
How do they compare to the lost facilities?
A new user commented “The cladding on the portacabins is rippled and uneven and a member of staff reported that the gym will only be in operation for 2-3 years.” So, this is only a temporary solution.
"The new women's only gym has the look of a temporary portacabin with ill fitting cladding, as though this is all that residents in #Southall deserve. Couple this with new squeaking park gym equipment with flaking paint, the outlook isn't very good."
Would be great if you had women only swimming sessions for children like before.
Dormers Wells Leisure Centre has a wide range of facilities available in addition to this new gym for women, including a swimming pool, main gym, six court sports hall and studio for group exercise classes, so it is ideally suited to serve the needs of the community
Councillor Mason said: “We knew that the gym facilities at Southall Sports Centre were incredibly valued by local women, and when we found out about its impending closure we immediately stepped up to secure alternative gym facilities that catered exclusively for women.”
Councillor Jasbir Anand, cabinet member for thriving communities said: “A new women’s gym at Dormers Wells is a welcome addition to an extensive range of new fitness facilities we are bringing to Southall.”
What exactly is an official opening?Is it a private event?
Is it a public event?
Do you invite anyone to it?
Do you take 11 days to tell anyone about it?
Are our Councillors afraid of the residents? A local resident commented “There didn't appear to be any advertising on social media.”
“Appears to be a low key event with no gym users photographed or quoted.”
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