Gym club battles Newport leisure centre closure (From South Wales Argus)

But you can't keep a whole leisure centre running for the sake of 1 private gymnastics club. As far as Newport Council are concerned this club represents just 1 booking, regardless how many kids attend. This lady managed to keep her business running when she had to move before, so I'm sure given the amount of time, she can find somewhere else.

firstly who says you are the voice of da port! we are a club not a business! all fees pay rent on facilities, coaches travelling expenses, coaches memberships to british gymnastics, club affiliations fees , club insurances, also their are five coaches are booked on a course for the end of jan which all comes out of fees paid ! if it were a business then maybe we would be in the position to rent our own facilites and wouldnt be bothered by the closure, but let me just say i am bothered as yes we may only be one club renting the facilites at underwood, but their are other clubs who will also be affected!, what about the people of underwood, if this centre shuts there will be nothing up there for the residents to use, yes it may be the least used in newport, but that dosent mean its not used! and yes given time i may be able to find elsewhere but that dosent help the children from the estate who have no transport! if this centre shuts it will have a devastating effect on the community

When did the buses stop running to Underwood?

sue -griffiths wrote:
firstly who says you are the voice of da port! we are a club not a business! all fees pay rent on facilities, coaches travelling expenses, coaches memberships to british gymnastics, club affiliations fees , club insurances, also their are five coaches are booked on a course for the end of jan which all comes out of fees paid ! if it were a business then maybe we would be in the position to rent our own facilites and wouldnt be bothered by the closure, but let me just say i am bothered as yes we may only be one club renting the facilites at underwood, but their are other clubs who will also be affected!, what about the people of underwood, if this centre shuts there will be nothing up there for the residents to use, yes it may be the least used in newport, but that dosent mean its not used! and yes given time i may be able to find elsewhere but that dosent help the children from the estate who have no transport! if this centre shuts it will have a devastating effect on the community

Don't let them get to you Sue some people on here make comments and I think they got nothing in life but **** people off. Anybody who works hard to build something for youngsters these should be rewarded for the work they do. I do a lot with kick-boxing and understand your frustrations with this. I hope you can sort your problem soon Good luck :-)

thankyou for your positive comment michael, as for someone to say dont underwood have buses any more? if a child wanted to stay with my club and come to a llanwern class, or even go to another club they would have to catch one or maybe two buses, which are not that regular from underwood, who would want to drag a young child out in the eve on two buses! and then have to get them home again, possibly having to bring other children with them, how much would that cost in fares? it did get to me but i will try and rise above it, we are not only trying to fight this closure for our club, which a l ot of my girls travel up to underwood for and there are local clubs near them, but wish to be a members of our club, but for the children of the underwood community who will have no centre for any activity !

the council should be opening more leisure centres not trying to close them ! whats happend to giving people oportunity to keep fit and healthy , providing places for the younger generation to have somewhere to go to keep them off the streets.Sue is giving younger people the opportunity to do just that without her local leisure centre not only will those kids lose that so will the whole community!! you gone quiet voiceofDaport

Given girls are the gender not taking up sports and exercise, and obese r us rules, it seems crazy to undermine efforts to reverse that. No shops, no social clubs, no leisure, no exersize, but lots of chips, pies and pizzas and curry houses, and of course booze, welcome to Newport. Unless we encourage people to keep fit, they will all be couch potatoes.

Good luck to Sue Griffiths, it looks like she has been doing a fantastic job. Shame it looks like she will need to find a new home for Twist 'n' Flip.

There are plenty of church halls and scout huts to do "karate" in....... Is that too controversial?

These leisure centres have been aloud to crumble for years and years, I went to Underwood leisure centre when I was a kid and it was proper dirty and I knew all about dirt, when I was a kid we had to eat it.

It's cheaper for me to keep fit in a private gym (curse this rain) than at a leisure centre, sad isn't it.

Stop all the big wage bill thats what the local councils should do not close local leisure centres. And as Mervyn James said earlier welcome to Newport. And I think it is going to bite more and more it is but with all the obesity you think they would put more cash into places like the leisure centres.

thankyou all for the posotive comments, as its been mentioned , yes they want children to be fit and healthy and i thought after britain hosting the games last summer that children would be encouraged to join into sporting activities, be it gymnastics or any other sport, the closing of this centre will have a devastating affect on the community of underwood!, im not from underwood, i travel twice a week to do my class, after they shut lliswerry leisure centre down where we trained at for thirteen years, i know the affect that this closure will have on mine and other clubs as ive been there before, we as a club drained nearly 1,500 of our funds and ran up a bill of nearly £500 , paying the hall and having very few gymnasts, we had to change our club name and literally start all over again, three years later , we have the standard of gymnastics back and the numbers to work with, we have worked hard to get back up there as at one point we nearly called it a day as a club, we are back up to full strength, but i fear girls who have been with us for the last two years and have worked hard, will now have to finish gymnastics all together as they would not be able to get to classes, like what was said by michael cut their wages, maybe improve the centre that more people would want to use it, i am very happy with the three years weve used the centre, the staff are fantastic there and will bend over backwards to help us,and their is such a community spirit up in underwood, something you dont get in these larger more used centres!

Sue,

Im really suprised by this Labour Council not to support your Gymnastic Club. In the past they have been very supportive to other gymnastic clubs.

Newport Youth Gymnastic Club had tremendous support from the Labour group for many years.

At the same time, I can't believe a local Community Centre has to close because of these cuts.

Have you spoken to the local Councillor ?

They've been trying to close this leisure centre for years. Why ?

What else have the local community got ?

I hope the banners are ready in Underwood !

ive started an online petition please could you sign it thanks
https://www.change.o
rg/en-GB/petitions/n
ewport-city-council-
stop-the-proposed-cl
osure-of-underwood-l
eisure-centre

sue -griffiths wrote:
ive started an online petition please could you sign it thanks
https://www.change.o

rg/en-GB/petitions/n

ewport-city-council-

stop-the-proposed-cl

osure-of-underwood-l

eisure-centre

will have to copy and paste as link didnt work on this site

sue -griffiths wrote:
firstly who says you are the voice of da port! we are a club not a business! all fees pay rent on facilities, coaches travelling expenses, coaches memberships to british gymnastics, club affiliations fees , club insurances, also their are five coaches are booked on a course for the end of jan which all comes out of fees paid ! if it were a business then maybe we would be in the position to rent our own facilites and wouldnt be bothered by the closure, but let me just say i am bothered as yes we may only be one club renting the facilites at underwood, but their are other clubs who will also be affected!, what about the people of underwood, if this centre shuts there will be nothing up there for the residents to use, yes it may be the least used in newport, but that dosent mean its not used! and yes given time i may be able to find elsewhere but that dosent help the children from the estate who have no transport! if this centre shuts it will have a devastating effect on the community

You may be a club but why do you expect the taxpayers to fund your club?

You are sugesting that the taxpayer keep open a liitle used leasure centre just for your conviencience

THere are plenty of other facilities in Newport and belive it or not Underwood has public transport. If that is incovinient why cannot some of the parents transport them. Why do you think it is someone elses problem

Money is tight your club needs to do more to help itself rather than expect other to pay for it

sue -griffiths wrote:
firstly who says you are the voice of da port! we are a club not a business! all fees pay rent on facilities, coaches travelling expenses, coaches memberships to british gymnastics, club affiliations fees , club insurances, also their are five coaches are booked on a course for the end of jan which all comes out of fees paid ! if it were a business then maybe we would be in the position to rent our own facilites and wouldnt be bothered by the closure, but let me just say i am bothered as yes we may only be one club renting the facilites at underwood, but their are other clubs who will also be affected!, what about the people of underwood, if this centre shuts there will be nothing up there for the residents to use, yes it may be the least used in newport, but that dosent mean its not used! and yes given time i may be able to find elsewhere but that dosent help the children from the estate who have no transport! if this centre shuts it will have a devastating effect on the community

You may be a club but why do you expect the taxpayers to fund your club?

You are sugesting that the taxpayer keep open a liitle used leasure centre just for your conviencience

THere are plenty of other facilities in Newport and belive it or not Underwood has public transport. If that is incovinient why cannot some of the parents transport them. Why do you think it is someone elses problem

Money is tight your club needs to do more to help itself rather than expect other to pay for it

sue -griffiths wrote:
firstly who says you are the voice of da port! we are a club not a business! all fees pay rent on facilities, coaches travelling expenses, coaches memberships to british gymnastics, club affiliations fees , club insurances, also their are five coaches are booked on a course for the end of jan which all comes out of fees paid ! if it were a business then maybe we would be in the position to rent our own facilites and wouldnt be bothered by the closure, but let me just say i am bothered as yes we may only be one club renting the facilites at underwood, but their are other clubs who will also be affected!, what about the people of underwood, if this centre shuts there will be nothing up there for the residents to use, yes it may be the least used in newport, but that dosent mean its not used! and yes given time i may be able to find elsewhere but that dosent help the children from the estate who have no transport! if this centre shuts it will have a devastating effect on the community

You may be a club but why do you expect the taxpayers to fund your club?

You are sugesting that the taxpayer keep open a liitle used leasure centre just for your conviencience

THere are plenty of other facilities in Newport and belive it or not Underwood has public transport. If that is incovinient why cannot some of the parents transport them. Why do you think it is someone elses problem

Money is tight your club needs to do more to help itself rather than expect other to pay for it

sue -griffiths wrote:
firstly who says you are the voice of da port! we are a club not a business! all fees pay rent on facilities, coaches travelling expenses, coaches memberships to british gymnastics, club affiliations fees , club insurances, also their are five coaches are booked on a course for the end of jan which all comes out of fees paid ! if it were a business then maybe we would be in the position to rent our own facilites and wouldnt be bothered by the closure, but let me just say i am bothered as yes we may only be one club renting the facilites at underwood, but their are other clubs who will also be affected!, what about the people of underwood, if this centre shuts there will be nothing up there for the residents to use, yes it may be the least used in newport, but that dosent mean its not used! and yes given time i may be able to find elsewhere but that dosent help the children from the estate who have no transport! if this centre shuts it will have a devastating effect on the community

You may be a club but why do you expect the taxpayers to fund your club?

You are sugesting that the taxpayer keep open a liitle used leasure centre just for your conviencience

THere are plenty of other facilities in Newport and belive it or not Underwood has public transport. If that is incovinient why cannot some of the parents transport them. Why do you think it is someone elses problem

Money is tight your club needs to do more to help itself rather than expect other to pay for it

sue -griffiths wrote:
firstly who says you are the voice of da port! we are a club not a business! all fees pay rent on facilities, coaches travelling expenses, coaches memberships to british gymnastics, club affiliations fees , club insurances, also their are five coaches are booked on a course for the end of jan which all comes out of fees paid ! if it were a business then maybe we would be in the position to rent our own facilites and wouldnt be bothered by the closure, but let me just say i am bothered as yes we may only be one club renting the facilites at underwood, but their are other clubs who will also be affected!, what about the people of underwood, if this centre shuts there will be nothing up there for the residents to use, yes it may be the least used in newport, but that dosent mean its not used! and yes given time i may be able to find elsewhere but that dosent help the children from the estate who have no transport! if this centre shuts it will have a devastating effect on the community

You may be a club but why do you expect the taxpayers to fund your club?

You are sugesting that the taxpayer keep open a liitle used leasure centre just for your conviencience

THere are plenty of other facilities in Newport and belive it or not Underwood has public transport. If that is incovinient why cannot some of the parents transport them. Why do you think it is someone elses problem

Money is tight your club needs to do more to help itself rather than expect other to pay for it

Bobevans wrote:

sue -griffiths wrote: firstly who says you are the voice of da port! we are a club not a business! all fees pay rent on facilities, coaches travelling expenses, coaches memberships to british gymnastics, club affiliations fees , club insurances, also their are five coaches are booked on a course for the end of jan which all comes out of fees paid ! if it were a business then maybe we would be in the position to rent our own facilites and wouldnt be bothered by the closure, but let me just say i am bothered as yes we may only be one club renting the facilites at underwood, but their are other clubs who will also be affected!, what about the people of underwood, if this centre shuts there will be nothing up there for the residents to use, yes it may be the least used in newport, but that dosent mean its not used! and yes given time i may be able to find elsewhere but that dosent help the children from the estate who have no transport! if this centre shuts it will have a devastating effect on the community

You may be a club but why do you expect the taxpayers to fund your club? You are sugesting that the taxpayer keep open a liitle used leasure centre just for your conviencience THere are plenty of other facilities in Newport and belive it or not Underwood has public transport. If that is incovinient why cannot some of the parents transport them. Why do you think it is someone elses problem Money is tight your club needs to do more to help itself rather than expect other to pay for it

@ Bob evans who said anything about tax payers funding the club? The club pays their way in as much as they pay for the hire the halls etc and besides i am a tax payer and i would rather my money went to saving a gymnastic club than feeding some druggy their methadone wouldn't you? Maybe for your benefit they might have some english lesson going at underwood that way you could learn to spell !!!!!

bouncyball wrote:

Bobevans wrote:

sue -griffiths wrote: firstly who says you are the voice of da port! we are a club not a business! all fees pay rent on facilities, coaches travelling expenses, coaches memberships to british gymnastics, club affiliations fees , club insurances, also their are five coaches are booked on a course for the end of jan which all comes out of fees paid ! if it were a business then maybe we would be in the position to rent our own facilites and wouldnt be bothered by the closure, but let me just say i am bothered as yes we may only be one club renting the facilites at underwood, but their are other clubs who will also be affected!, what about the people of underwood, if this centre shuts there will be nothing up there for the residents to use, yes it may be the least used in newport, but that dosent mean its not used! and yes given time i may be able to find elsewhere but that dosent help the children from the estate who have no transport! if this centre shuts it will have a devastating effect on the community

You may be a club but why do you expect the taxpayers to fund your club? You are sugesting that the taxpayer keep open a liitle used leasure centre just for your conviencience THere are plenty of other facilities in Newport and belive it or not Underwood has public transport. If that is incovinient why cannot some of the parents transport them. Why do you think it is someone elses problem Money is tight your club needs to do more to help itself rather than expect other to pay for it

@ Bob evans who said anything about tax payers funding the club? The club pays their way in as much as they pay for the hire the halls etc and besides i am a tax payer and i would rather my money went to saving a gymnastic club than feeding some druggy their methadone wouldn't you? Maybe for your benefit they might have some english lesson going at underwood that way you could learn to spell !!!!!

@ bob evans
i am fighting the proposal to shut underwood leisure centre, not only for the sake of my girls who use the facility twice a week, but for all the other clubs who use it, there are many other clubs inc archery, football a dancing troup, zumba and more, those of you who have left negative comments, what do you actually do in your spare time? do you actually get off your backsides to help the youth of today? No probably not, you can sit behind your computer and slate me all you like, i can hold my head up high and know that for the last 26 years ive had the pleasure of working with a lot of different girls, seeing them achieve new things, and i will keep fighting this closure as much as i possibly can, i do not expect the taxpayer to fund my club, ive not asked for any help off the council to keep my club running, all i am asking is for them to keep this leisure centre open for the community of underwood, its a leisure centre im fighting for not my club! anyone would think i was fighting to keep a drug den open !!!!!!!!!!

Good on you Sue !

Have you contacted WAGA in Cardiff ? Tell them whats happening to your club.

You may be suprised at what help and monies that are available.

I still believe that our paid elected councillors should be trying to save these clubs not closing them !

You had an independent candidate standing in your area not so long ago. He would of saved your club. He was a former Welsh international gymnast.

Good on you Sue !

Have you contacted WAGA in Cardiff ? Tell them whats happening to your club.

You may be suprised at what help and monies that are available.

I still believe that our paid elected councillors should be trying to save these clubs not closing them !

You had an independent candidate standing in your area not so long ago. He would of saved your club. He was a former Welsh international gymnast.