Louise Wraith

😡A Lifeline Cut Short—The Closure of Woodley Sports Village 😡 Tackling Minds is today expressing our profound disappointment and frustration regarding the announced closure of the public fitness facilities at Stockport Sports Village (Woodley). For many of the people we support, those battling addiction, navigating neurodivergence, or managing complex mental health challenges, this facility was more than a leisure centre. It was a vital pillar of their recovery. To see it stripped away in a deal conducted behind closed doors is not just a loss of floor space, it is a catastrophic blow to the wellbeing of the community ‼️The "Behind Closed Doors" Reality ‼️ Public assets belong to the public. Stockport Sports Village was built on public land and has been sustained by millions of pounds in taxpayer-funded support and guarantees. Despite this, the decision to effectively privatize the site’s core fitness facilities was made without meaningful community consultation. While Stockport Council and Stockport County FC announce this as a "next phase," the local community who paid for this facility are being served an eviction notice from their own community hub. ‼️The Math Doesn't Add Up‼️ The justification for this takeover is the expansion of a football academy. While we support the growth of local sport, the reality is stark: •The Few vs. The Thousands A professional academy serves a tiny fraction of elite young athletes, only a minute percentage of whom will ever see a professional contract. • The Displacement In exchange for this "elite" path, thousands of regular local residents, families, the elderly, and those using exercise as a mental health intervention are being displaced. Claiming this is a "win" for community wellbeing is a hollow sentiment when the vast majority of that community is no longer allowed through the front door. ‼️The False Promise of "Alternative" Facilities‼️ The suggestion that Woodley’s thousands of members can simply "relocate" to Romiley or Marple is not just impractical. It is an insult to the intelligence of the local community. • The Romiley Bottleneck Life Leisure Romiley is already operating at significant capacity. It is a much smaller site with aging facilities that simply cannot absorb the displaced membership of a 23-acre sports village. The Council’s "expansion" plans for Romiley are a physical impossibility. You cannot squeeze a gallon into a pint pot. The proposed footprint for the extension is too restricted to house the volume of equipment or the floor space required for a safe, inclusive, and non-overstimulating workout environment. • The Marple Delay While the "Marple Hub" is often cited as a solution, it is currently a building site with a completion date drifting toward 2027. Telling a service user who relies on daily exercise for mental stability to "wait a year" for a facility miles away is a dangerous dismissal of their immediate health needs. • A Transport Crisis for the Vulnerable For our service users, many of whom do not drive or struggle with the sensory overwhelm of complex travel—the "alternative" might as well be on the moon. Public transport between Woodley and Romiley is fragmented, and for those in the depths of a mental health crisis, every additional bus change or mile of travel acts as a barrier to entry. When the barrier becomes too high, the training stops. When the training stops, the mental health decline begins. ‼️Our Stand‼️ Physical activity is one of the most effective tools we have in the fight against the UK’s mental health crisis. By closing Woodley, the Council is removing a "front-line" health service at a time when the NHS is already bucking under the pressure of mental health referrals. Tackling Minds calls on Stockport Council to provide a transparent account of this deal and to explain how the "drop in the ocean" of an academy justifies the abandonment of thousands of loyal, local taxpayers. @GranadaReports @BBCRadioManc @BBCNWT