Gym doesn’t fix it for elderly members

Chadderton Wellbeing Centre members are upset at losing their classes

ELDERLY exercisers are up in arms after the axing of popular gym classes specially designed to keep them fit.

Oldham Community Leisure (OCL) has cancelled the sessions at Chadderton Wellbeing Centre, which attracted around 30 people. The organisation says the instructor-led sessions were only on trial.

Some of the gym members say they weren’t told the sessions were a trial when they signed one-year contracts — and older people, including stroke victims, can’t use some of the equipment without guidance.

Member Pamela Jeacocke said: “Some of the members are in their 70s and 80s and most of us signed up for 12-month contracts at Chadderton. The big gym is always really busy and too loud. In our classes we got special attention and if someone was a bit unsteady they could be watched.

“We’re annoyed because we haven’t had any consultation about it and I have never been told that the classes were temporary.”

Fitness manager Alex Knibbs, from OCL said: “The classes were set up to get people used to the machines. The conditioning suite in Chadderton is still running, just without the instructor.”