Malden Centre: Objection to closing Saturday morning adult lane swim

The Saturday morning adult swim session at the MC (Malden Centre) has been running for 20 years.  It runs at capacity and gives the local community an opportunity to meet socially and exercise.  Users have inadvertently found out that as of this Saturday the centre has cancelled these to make space for other activities. 

The closure disproportionally disadvantages users who benefit most, those who are 55+, retired, carers,  have mobility issues and those who work and don't have time other than Saturday morning.  The majority are unable to access the pool at other times.   Many users pay a full swim membership just to be able to access the pool specifically for that day and time. This is an essential service for the local community.  

The decision to cancel the session was made without consultation with users who were also not given prior notification.

I expect that the centre (which is intended to reflect local values, and meet local need) consider the impact of this decision and seek further consultation with customers/service users.

The intention of this petition is to coordinate a collective response to the Manager of Places for People and invite a response.

If you would like to contribute, please sign by Tuesday 14th February and circulate to anyone else who may want to add their support/ comment

Suzanne Marchment    Contact the author of the petition