A community of netballers and sports people are campaigning to save an exercise hall which will be halved under council proposals.

Sports group campaigners were “flabbergasted” to learn that half of the sports hall at the William Penn Leisure Centre in Rickmansworth will be repurposed under a new contract.

Three Rivers District Council and Sports and Leisure Management signed the Design Build Operate Maintain and Leisure Management contract in March this year. The operator is Everyone Active.

Under the contract, there will also be improvements to The Centre in South Oxhey, including a new 25 metre pool, learner pool and an enlarged fitness suite. 

Campaigner and “Back to Netball” member, Carolyn Venn, from Mount View, said: “We have been flabbergasted to learn the hall will be halved.

“There isn’t another one in the area, once the sports hall has been closed it will be lost to the whole community forever and we will have nowhere to go.

“We won’t be able to afford a school hall, we will be completely homeless.”

Caroline joined the netball group in 2017 which encourages people back into the sport after years of being unable to play due to other commitments such as work and family. 

She said there are 200 women and girls who have joined similar groups since the project started who will be affected. 

Walking Netball Group

Watford Observer:

Margaret, 60, from the Walking Netball Group, said: “Before Walking Netball I didn't participate in any sport. 

“Now at 60 I have found a team sport I can participate in fully. It has given me a new lease of life, both the sport and the socialising with the other team members. 

“There is amazing support, encouragement and friendship from the group both on and off court.”

Sophie Poulson, Age 11, Junior Netball, said: “If I didn't have netball I would be sitting at home on my phone a lot more. 

“It is a great sport and it has made my mum get back into netball and she has helped and encouraged me to get involved. 

“Having a local sports hall makes more people play a great sport and be active. Without the sports hall people would be missing out on playing a great sport.”

Cllr Chris Lloyd, Lead Member for Leisure said the council’s Leisure and Policy & Resources committees agreed that the existing sports hall would be halved in size as part of the new leisure contract. 

He said the committees were assured this would have “minimal impact” on the existing sports provision adding that no councillors of any party disagreed with the proposals, which were later agreed without opposition from the full council. 

Mr Lloyd said: “I would like to thank all the people who have contacted me personally. I have met with various users of the sporting facilities and with council leisure officers, to look at what other options are possible for the hall. 

“As a council we are listening to what the users of William Penn are saying. We are investigating the legal and financial implications of changing the current plan, and I am aiming to speak personally to those residents who contact me.”

Coach Louise Twyman who started the training groups, said: “The group only started in 2017 and we have gone from strength to strength. 

“Our members are aged between 10 and 80, some of whom are getting active for the first time in many decades and many of our ladies tell me netball, improved fitness and getting to know new people has changed their lives immeasurably.”

Work on the centre will begin on July 1.