Leisure Centre

[jennyjoan]

We have pretty good leisure centres here where I live. I have learned that one of them is going to be updated to the tune £16 million.

I think it is disgusting. Why can't all this money be put to better use eg the Health Service.

[Buenchico]

Better facilities for active sports encourage more users, increasing the amount of exercise that people get and thus reducing the burden upon health services (since fewer people will then go on to develop type 2 diabetes or heart problems).

Prevention is better than cure!

[jennyjoan]

You do have a point Buen but I think £16 million is excessive.

[ummmm]

Wouldn't that depend on what it's being spent on?

[Buenchico]

£16m is a drop in the ocean these days. To put it into perspective, a new secondary school in Peterborough (The Thomas Deacon Academy) recently cost about £50m to build.

[Daffy6543]

Services and leisure budget is completely separate from health budgets. If they didn't update the leisure centre you can bet it would just be returned to central government for use building or updating one elsewhere.

[jennyjoan]

Well I find the centre is okay by me - just as it is.

[ummmm]

But maybe not to the youngsters and maybe no where near the standard of private gyms.

[Mamyalynne]

I think if the £16 Million were being diverted from improving the local hospital, I would share your disgust JJCon - but it doesn't work like that.

If this facility is going to benefit the health and well being of the local population, it can only be a good thing.

[jennyjoan]

Just hope the youngsters do use it as they are getting bigger and lazier.

[ivor4781]

because the health service is awash with badly spent money i know ive had 45 years in it, if you want to see waste on a spectacular scale ............

[jennyjoan]

Ivor - it must be badly spent here in NI - as Health Minister wants to cut and cut and cut. Don't start me.

[EcclesCake]

Your logic is rather skewed JJ.

The leisure centre suits your needs so shouldn't have any further investment. Well, let's just invest where it meets your agenda then shall we?

As has been said £16 million is a trivial sum when looking at the NHS budget. It is a good amount to invest in leisure facilities that will hopefully appeal to the big and lazy youngsters......and the not so young!

An active and healthy life style with regular exercise and a balanced diet could save the NHS vast sums of money in the long term.

[B00]

And yet they've closed our local swimming baths down, the building's now derelict, very sad to see.

[jno]

who owns it? If it's the council I don't know what options they'd have to donate the money to the NHS.