Okay, hope I have your attention as I would like your help. My doctor tells me I am too old to still be playing squash (and my knees say the same thing). However, I have been playing the game for over 40 years (mostly badly) and want to continue. I play at Bridgend Recreation Centre and have done for over 20 years. We have 3 courts there, was 6 when I first went there. The centre is old and tired and something needs to be done about it. Bridgend County Borough Council (BCBC) and their new facility management partners GLL/Halo want to knock it down and build a new one. Fine other than they haven't included squash courts in their plans. Around 100 adults play there every week and 30/40 children receive training from Squash Wales to help preserve and develop the game in South Wales. This is being totally ignored and there has been no consultation with BCBC and my club and the other club who play there regularly other than a meeting to tell us what they were doing. They offered alternatives which are unrealistic and in one case an alternate venue, which is owned by BCBC has 2 courts which are no longer used for squash. We are fighting this on a number of fronts one of which is an online petition. We have 253 signatures to this as I write (one is a Joey Barton, but we can probably elbow, kick, headbut that one) plus over 300 have signed our manual petition. We want 1,000 minimum in total by the end of May as they plan to get the wrecking ball in at the start of July (no planning consent yet we understand so we still have time to protest and take action). We have been told they are to spend in the region of £150k enlarging and enhancing the car park (a nice cash cow which will need very little maintenace). As it happens to include 3 new squash courts in the rebuild would cost a similar amount. What does that tell you about BCBC's concern for the health, wellbeing and leisure activities of the people of Bridgend? All this at a time when over 1/2 million people play squash in the UK. It is once again a growing sport and the UK has the top 2 players in the world and 6 of the world's top 12. Please support me and the 2 clubs (Sunnyside and The Rags) by clicking on the link below, adding your name to the petition and making an appropriate comment should you see fit. Real names please - I won't know who you are from this site unless you are personally known to me. http://signon.org/sign/save-bridgends-squash?source=s.em.mt&r_by=4480781 Thanks in advance, BfB.
Swamp/Siam Any chance of making this a Sticky for the next week or so - assuming I get some responses?
BfB We have only just had a local election when Bridend was won by Labour from no overall control. I would think that getting in touch with the 39 labour councillors and try to get your local councillor on board. Get in touch with the local paper. Try to get quotes from local doctors and schools about the fight to get obese children playing sport etc etc Get say a 100 posters and ask local shops to disply them in their window.
good stuff dj, not enough facilities nowadays without stuff like this happening let alone with it....
Signed It doesn't affect me directly but had a similar issue a few years back when an outdoor Basketball/5-A-Side facility was under threat of being sold off for a quick buck. People ignored it and there now stands an ugly block of private apartments in its place.
Cheers guys. We are already in contact with councillors and have meetings with them shortly. Didn't help that the one guy who was really helping us lost his seat. He is still involved and guiding us. We are also writing to schools and a number of medical specialists have already supported us via the petition. Good idea to get letters of support from them. We put up posters and the manual petition on the centre. The miserable sods took them down. Good idea about posters for shops. We are meeting Wednesday and I will raise the items mentioned. We can't go to the media yet as the council will close ranks, pull the shutters down and circle the waggons. However, we have actions in the pipeline where the locla press will be involved. Thanks for your support.
Signed. There aren't enough sporting facilities as it is, and I hate to see the ones we have destroyed.
http://reservoir-action-group.blogspot.co.uk/ another example of something similar happening near me....used to be used for sailing, wildlife, walks etc but drained by its lovely new owners so that people cant use it and give in....and an extra couple of hundred houses to make them filthy rich......nice
Yes, been watching that one with interest and amazement for a few years. Looks like a great campaign to maintain public awareness and not to let the greedy ba$tards grind you down. Keep up the good work all those involved.
cheers, i used to go to the reservoir and park are quite often a few years back, been there once since they started draining it in 2008, surrounded with metal fencing and unaccessable now. havent been back to that area since, makes me very upset going there tbh
Done as instructed. As you know Bluey, this is on my own original turf, and I'd support you all the way on this one. I was very annoyed at the time when the built the original rec right on top of my childhood putting green which was at the end of Sunnyside Avenue. Operated by the then Bridgend Urban District Council, it was just outside the open air swimming pool, and gave us kids somewhere to while away the time before it was time to go home complete with our soaking wet rolled up towels and bathers. Ahh, the memories.
Aye Bluey - the double act of Dai and Aussie were going to sign, but they've decided to go for the car park instead - anything council owned is OK for them...........
Cheers Clingo. Hope you are well. Did you get down to see any end of season games after? I rememer a post saying you hoped to get to a game.
In the developed world , where obesity is becoming more widespread by the day , the last thing you want to do is close physical training facilities . In the undeveloped world , people who are starving have a better way to fight obesity , eat less & send the food to them !
Signed, Bloody council what about the skateboarders, BMX fraternity etc I,m sure that a quick reminder to the young voters about those who are taking away their facilities without consultation, may help the decision makers to consult with everyone? Heres one for BFB, the United nations convention on the rights of children, Article 13 suggests: That children and young people be consulted with on decisions made by adults that may affect their lives. Ask the council about their consultation process and the standards that they are trying to achieve and then hit them publically about how they MAY have excluded young people ( service users) from that consultation. Then contact the childrens commisioner for Wales ( we are a leading world body on childrens rights) and make him aware of the situation. Awareness raising like this will help the cause, at least it may change a few perceptions about communities and the way that they think, and kick some butt in BCBC. Hey sparky I used to get to the outdoor pool in Bridgend as well, if I remember Didn,t it have a really rough floor surface?
