A campaign fighting to get South Leeds Sports Centre reopened has issued a call to arms for local residents and businesses to back a potential bid to take the centre into community ownership.
The sports centre closed in November 2010 – despite a local campaign to save it – and now the Splashback group is looking at the possibilities of mounting a bid for a community takeover for the derelict building, which has since suffered from vandalism.
Splashback member Phil Gleason told South Leeds Life the group was seeking free professional help in drawing up business plans and was seeking the donation of local businesses time, expertise and building materials. He also wants local residents to come forward to offer their help and expertise while mounting the bid to become a community-owned social enterprise.
Mr Gleason said:
“A lot of people think the sports centre is dead in the water and that a new primary school is being built there, but we’re going to keep on fighting for sports provision on the site.”
Leeds council has been consulting on plans to build a new primary school on the site but has said that it’s open to suggestions from the community on the use of the site.
If you can help Splashback, email phil@juniorbowling.net.
A previous community-led bid to take over the centre was scuppered by a lack of cash in 2010.
It is vitally important that South Leeds wakes up to support what could be the last chance to save our sports centre. If Bramley Baths can be saved then why not our sports centre? Anybody who can help should contact Phil as soon as possible – it’s time to stand up and be counted. The new primary school could be built where the multi-storey flats have been demolished since it is looking increasingly unlikely that the new PFI housing promised in Holbeck will ever be built.
Hi all,
Please lets not have the centre become another of those buildings that are in our conversations of “Do you remember when we went swimming” but “lets go swimming at South Leeds Centre today”.
It CAN BE SAVED the council are prepared to help but we need a massive group to sign up, at the end of next week I will be leaving petitions around Beeston and Holbeck in any shops that will take them, and any centre church, where ever and who ever will allow us to do so, please sign up and give us a bigger voice.
The help I am looking for firstly is for the petitions to be signed but also businesses to give our support and to give us help in writing bids, business plans al the paperwork that goes with this type of bid.
Please help us in our quest to save this vital cog in our community.
Thanks
Phil Gleeson