Staff and members at Gateshead Leisure Centre have revealed what the at-risk facility means to them and just how much their community relies on it.
The site is under threat of being shut down under council budget cuts, having been deemed one of the least financially sustainable publicly-run leisure services in the borough - alongside Dunston Leisure Centre and the sports hall in Birtley. Having been a part of life for people from areas like Bensham, Saltwell, and Low Fell since the 1930s, the prospect of losing it has become a deeply emotional issue for many.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service went inside Gateshead Leisure Centre to find out what the reaction to the closure plans has been. Ryan Lumsden, who works in the huge facility’s gym, has faced questions about the centre’s future since it emerged in October that it may be forced to shut.
