Willesden Sports Centre Closure

Letter in Wembley Observer, 27 May 20 04

It is difficult to believe that things could get much worse in the outrageously mismanaged scheme to rebuild Willesden Sports' Centre. Casual disregard of the needs of local schools and Brent Dolphins Swimming Club has followed lack of public consultation over the decision to knock down an important health and fitness resource in the first place.

But there's more in store. The centre in Donnington Road - a focal point for all in south Brent - is now not scheduled to close until the end of August, with no replacement due for between 18 months and four years, depending on who you believe.

In the circumstances, the extension to the end of the school holidays - albeit more by luck than design - should be cause for minor celebration. But, instead of allowing us uninterrupted use until the centre's closure, severely restricted opening hours come into force from the beginning of June.

The decision was announced to core staff last week without any public consultation or forewarning. Out goes early bird swimming from 630am on weekdays and, at weekends - the pool's busiest period in summer - the centre will open for only three hours - from 9am to noon on Saturdays.

From July, just as the school holidays get underway, the pool also opens later and closes earlier. And all this comes at a time of increasing concern over obesity and lack of fitness, especially among the young.

Is 'Brent - working for the people'? You've got to be joking.

Bill O'Neill

From Willesden & Brent Chronicle 23 June 2004

LEFT HIGH AND DRY Report by Lorraine King

COUNCIL chiefs have pulled the plug on a pensioner 's daily ritual of an early morning swim that she has followed for more than 25 years. Kate Eutrope,79, of Bathurst Gardens, Kensal Rise, has attended the Willesden Sport Centre every day, at 6.3Oam, come rain and shine, to complete 30 lengths in the pool.

As the sports centre will be closing for refurbishment within a matter of weeks, the council has revised the opening times of the pool and made them shorter, affecting Mrs Eutrope's routine. She said: "People go to the pool then straight to work. I'm the first person in the building every morning. I have been going Monday to Friday for more than 25 years. Everybody knows me here."

Mrs Eutrope, who is originally from Barbados, said she is so agile and active for her years that her doctors have asked her to encourage other patients to take up swimming. She said: "The swims have kept me youthful. They (the sports centre) have been trying to get places at nearby Canons gym but they were only prepared to take 20. I'll have nowhere to do my early-morning swim."

A Brent Council spokesman said: "Willesden Sports Centre is due to be redeveloped into a multi-million pound state-of-the-art sports centre offering enhanced sports facilities to both sports clubs and the community. We are helping users of the existing sports centre find alternative venues and some of them will be relocated in June. As fewer people will be using the facilities, and less frequently, the centre will start to reduce its operating hours in the run-up to the closure.”