Hundreds of campaigners gathered in Coatbridge yesterday afternoon in a fight to secure the future of a building that has been the home of a beloved charity fitness club for eight years.
The Bannan Fitness Club is widely celebrated in the local community for its accessible boxercise classes which cater to all incomes and abilities, including young children with additional support needs.
At the beginning of this month, members and coaches were devastated to learn that The Langloan Sports Centre, where they train up to seven days a week, had been closed for "safety reasons" and claim that no further information has been provided as to when, or if, it will be reopened.
Molly Curley McGoldrick was amongst the crowd outside the centre yesterday and has spoken of how her family and many others would be affected by the club’s closure which bosses warn could be imminent if they are not allowed back into the building.
She said: “My son, Joey, has been attending classes with Bannan Fitness since he was two.
“He used to be really shy and nervous but now at seven years old, he’s transformed into a passionate little boy who absolutely loves boxing and has a real talent.
“It’s such a huge part of the North Lanarkshire community.
“We’re totally stuck at the moment and there’s nothing we can do.
“The idea of closing is heart-breaking.”
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As time ticks on, many fear that the club will not survive unless repair work is carried out at the Langloan Centre or they are offered a similar space which is suitable for hanging heavy boxing bags and housing the specialist equipment worth thousands of pounds that they have purchased over the years.
When approached for comment by the Glasgow Times a spokesperson for North Lanarkshire Council said: “The venue was closed as a matter of urgency for safety reasons based on the strict advice from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and our own health and safety colleagues.
“We are continuing to work with the groups affected to find suitable alternative provision for them while the work is carried out.
“No decision has been taken about the future of the centre.”
It is understood that work is needed as a result of a fire that broke out at the site in 2019.
Further protests to campaign for building repairs are now being planned with calls for Scottish health secretary Humza Yousaf to step in and support the cause.
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Pat Bannan,75, who has run Bannan Fitness for 14 years said, said: “We’re a club for the people.
“In this day and age when a penny means a lot and everyone is trying to make ends meet we run at the lowest of the low trying to let people in.
“We’re a dedicated group who love what we’re doing and it feels like we’ve been slammed down.
“We’re just trying to help people and we’ve proven that with our work over the years.
“Why put a big cloud over our head and threaten to take away the building that allows us to run our little machine?
“Our goal is to get back into our home.”
For more information on Bannan Fitness click here.
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