Council chiefs have been accused of discriminating against women and disabled people following the axing of a health class.
Pensioners who attend the Weigh to Go class at the Quay Zone in Girvan say they have had ‘the rug pulled out from under them’ after the vital health class was temporarily binned by South Ayrshire bosses.
The class, delivered by the council in partnership with NHS Ayrshire & Arran, helps elderly residents keep active and socialise.
Members claim they were told by a staff member at a recent meet that the class would be cancelled for the next three months due to ‘staffing issues’.
But attendees say they have yet to receive formal confirmation from the council or be given a reinstatement date.
And some have hit out that they feel they’ve been punished while other activities remain untouched.
Mary Corbey, who lives in nearby Pinwherry, is the coordinator of Boost healthy eating and wellbeing group who ‘buddy up’ with Weigh to Go, encouraging people to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Mary, 65, said: “The Weigh to Go is not just about sport, it’s a health package to assist people in having a healthier lifestyle. It’s a serious health programme. One minute it was on and the next it was off.
“The staff member told us there were staffing issues, but if it was staffing issues, it wouldn’t just apply to Girvan. They’re saying it was for a minimum of three months but they’ve given no firm commitment to reinstate those classes. They’ve still not informed participants of the reason for it.”
Mary has branded the decision to pause the class as ‘discriminatory.’
She said: “There’s no change to the golfing arrangements, which is a male dominated sport. But the sports which are used by women, families and people who are disabled, they’re the ones who are being hammered.
“It’s clearly discriminatory. It’s a group of older women, who have long term health conditions, many of whom are disabled- and they’ve just ridden roughshod.
“It was a good class, it was well attended and people were making good progress. And we’ve just had the rug pulled completely from under us. They’ve not offered any alternative. We’ve got no firm date for reinstatement. We’ve had nothing.”
Mary has also hit out at the council’s decision to axe the Access to Leisure membership, which offered leisure at a discount for pensioners and those in receipt of benefits.
She said: “They’re using the money to cut prices across the board, so it’s effectively taking money from those who are in poverty and on benefits and using it to fund reductions for more affluent people.
“They’re taking money off people in a deprived area, who are suffering real deprivation, to fund price cuts for the more affluent.”
A council spokesperson said: “A formal complaint has been received on this matter and we are dealing with this through our complaints process.”
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