SAVE REDLANDS: Clubs at risk as Weymouth sports centre to be cut

At a meeting on Saturday evening more than 100 residents packed out a theatre space at Weymouth College as the college and new provider Active Dorset delivered the unwelcome news.

Active Dorset is to run outside areas of Redlands but the building - along with many indoor sports teams who now have no alternative facilities - will be lost unless the community can save it.

Amid tears and anger there was hope as those present vowed to fight for the building's future and a Save Redlands committee set up.

But there is a race against time, as the group only has a few months - unless landowner Dorset Council can be convinced to grant extra time.

In 2008 the college took over Redlands for a peppercorn rent and unveiled this design amid plans for a £5m overhaul of the facility which did not come to light

At the meeting the touchpaper was ignited the minute Active Dorset informed Redlands users there would be sufficient facilities for indoor team sports to continue, citing a Sports England study. Redlands users say this is not correct.

If the bid fails it means Redlands will be axed on the 10th anniversary of a Festival of Sport celebration held in Weymouth during the time of the 2012 Olympics, featuring, amongst others, beach volleyball. Weymouth's volleyball team is among the best in the country but will be left without a suitable indoor space to host its National League Division One matches.

Weymouth will no longer be able to host national league volleyball... and things aren't looking good for the Weymouth Beach volleyball tournaments if Redlands goes Picture: Weymouth Beach Volleyball, Instagram

As reported, leaseholder Weymouth College is to end its tenure of the facility in July as it is operating at a loss of £150,000 - £200,000 per year.

It, and Dorset Council, which owns the site, insist the building is in a state of severe disrepair and only used to 19 per cent of its capacity, making the business unviable.

But this was hotly contested during the meeting. Redlands users say the facility is well used despite little to no marketing of the business by the college, with no online booking facility.

Redlands is used by local schools that do not have PE halls of their own, as well as local mental health services, and is said to have played a huge role in helping those who are struggling. In particular it has helped men to talk about mental health battles by bringing people together through sport.

Resident Jack Galbraith said taking part in badminton, table tennis, basketball and football at Redlands "helped him through the darkest days."

He said: "I was asked to step up and coordinate a team - the Space Cadets - made up of players who all struggled with mental health challenges, many of whom were on powerful medication. Leading them onto the pitch for the first time to compete in a league remains one of the proudest days of my life."

During a fraught 20 or so minutes of presentations, Active Dorset explained it was proposing a pavilion community space, changing space, café and a new 3G pitch, while the college insisted it was "a further education college and not a leisure centre", and that no providers could be found to run the building.

Equipment and assets are to be transferred to the Weymouth College site when Redlands closes

During the question and answer session attendees heard from some of the original members of what was then known as Weymouth Sports Club, which was founded as a grassroots volunteer-led venture between Weymouth Cricket Club, Weymouth Hockey Club and Weymouth Rugby Club, evolving into a business at the heart of the community with a lively events calendar.

One elderly gentleman was unable to hold back tears, explaining how he had worked behind the bar at Redlands in his youth when it was first established, before calling on local councillors: "Do our politicians want to see more obese people, more pressure on the NHS? It's absolutely crazy. We've lost the Lakeside 10-pin bowling - what the hell are youngsters going to do?"

Leader of Weymouth Town Council Cllr David Harris pledged the support of the town council and promised to take forward the campaign to save Redlands.

Cllr Pete Barrow has launched a petition to save Redlands

"We are very keen to work with Dorset Council and Active Dorset to try and keep sports going - please be assured you are not on your own - you have got a group that is trying to get the solution we are all looking for," Cllr Harris said.

Liz Osborne, who runs Shuttlebusters Youth Badminton Club, said there is community enthusiasm to keep Redlands open and urged as many people as possible to sign a petition online.

Sign the petition here: you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-redlands-community-sports-hub