John Wright Sports Centre users in rage

May 27 2009 by Graham Mann, East Kilbride News

THE most popular sports centre in East Kilbride is not fit for purpose.

That’s the view of regulars at John Wright Sports Centre who say the popular facility is falling apart at the seams.

The News recently reported on the poor state of gym equipment at the centre, which will be one of the main venues when Lanarkshire hosts the International Children’s Games in 2011.

South Lanarkshire Council blamed a payment error for the delay in fixing broken equipment.

However, our story prompted a strong reaction from locals who say the problems are not confined to running machines and static bikes.

The closure of the Dollan Aqua Centre in October last year has resulted in a sharp rise in the number of people using the centre, and Stephen Forbes, 35, from Lindsayfield has had enough.

He said: “It is not just the equipment in the gym that’s in dire need of maintenance, much of the equipment used in various classes is also broken.

“The spin studio, for example, has air conditioning that doesn’t work most of the time. The wooden floor suffers as a result, getting very wet around each bike. You only have to see the black and rotting boards to understand that maintenance is required.

“I’ve witnessed people paying for entry to the class and being turned away from the studio due to the lack of equipment in good repair.

“The weights used for body pump might be marked with the weight they should be, most however are not the weight they claim to be due to damage.

“The majority of classes are oversubscribed, leaving very little room to exercise safely if you are not using fixed position equipment.

“The changing rooms are something to be avoided if possible, and dirty and broken showers are the norm.”

Another regular, user who did not wish to be named, added: “The doors never seem to work at the main entrance, computers are down and the toilet facilities are disgraceful too.ŠThe changing rooms have missing ceiling tiles and the ones that are there are covered in mould. Last week there was a bucket sitting collecting water from a leak and this is not unusual. The toilets are not much better. I only use the changing rooms to put belongings in the locker because they are so disgusting.

“I am in the process of checking out other gyms in the area and I plan to cancel my membership with South Lanarkshire Leisure as soon as possible.“

An SLC spokeswoman said: “The staff at the John Wright continue to work to ensure the maintenance and cleanliness of all the facilities in the centre. To assist with this during this busy time there are additional staff hours allocated.

“The centre follows the Quest quality system and has regularly increased its score.

“In following this system there are procedures in place which ensure that all tasks, including house-keeping and cleaning are completed and checked to defined standards.

“The centre is 37-years-old and although it has had significant investment over the years there are inevitably areas of the building which are showing their age. This year the Leisure Trust and South Lanarkshire Council have committed to a strategy of investment in the changing areas and are currently developing project plans to achieve these improvements.

“We are always welcoming of customer feed-back and would ask that if any customer visits the centre and finds any part of it does not meet the standards they expect, they please speak to a staff member who will do their best to rectify the problem.”

What’s your view on this story? Contact gmann@s-un.co.uk

POOR STATE OF REPAIR: gym-users say the John Wright Sports Centre facilities are not up to the job.