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.
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.
