A community sports centre in central London will remain open after its lease was sold, ending a year of worry about its potential closure.
The long-term owner of Jubilee Hall Gym in Covent Garden piazza previously said it planned to sell up as it could not afford the running costs.
The lease has now been bought by the social enterprise organisation Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) – the UK’s largest leisure trust – which will take over the site in November.
The Covent Garden Community Association (CGCA) – a group of local residents and businesses – said it was “upset” that its own bid to buy the lease had failed but that the deal was a “win for the community”.
Residents and gym-goers previously said the hall was a vital safe space for women, children and the LGBTQ community and feared it would be taken over by a large commercial provider.
GLL told a Westminster City Council meeting it would invest £250,000 into the facility.
It said it planned to buy new equipment, including a new boiler, and that it would refresh the studio and changing rooms and offer a larger programme of activities.
Members will also be given access to GLL facilities across London and the wider UK.
The gym attracts users of a range of ages and abilities [Paul Foley]
Noreen Rahman, who assisted the CGCA bid, said: “I’m obviously upset by the outcome but it is a win for the community.
“Last year Jubilee Hall Gym was at risk of closing down but now it’s been guaranteed to stay open as a gym.”
Jon Giles, chief executive officer of Jubilee Hall Trust, said the new arrangement meant the gym would be safeguarded “for many years to come”.
Peter Bundey, chief executive officer at GLL, said: “We will work to put Jubilee Hall back on a level financial footing, while our social enterprise status means that any future financial surpluses will be reinvested back into the inner London communities we serve.”
GLL manages 240 leisure centres, libraries and community services in partnership with local councils and organisations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
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