Roe Rec reopens - at last!

The news that Roehampton Recreation Club is to reopen next week after a £1.8 million refit is pleasing for those of us who have been campaigning for the Club to get the resources it deserves for years.

Given that the Recreation Club in Laverstoke Gardens, just behind Danebury Avenue, will provide a refurbished gymnasium, work-out studio and activity hall, along with a creche and weekend activities centre for local kids, it's now time to draw our successful campaign to a close, but not before reflecting on the herculean efforts it's taken to get this far.



This blog post from Labour's Roehampton council team in April 2005 shows how close we were to Conservative councillors breaking their word to refit the recreation club, and how long Labour has been campaigning on the issue - it was only through a high-profile effort led by Labour councillors in the town hall and local campaigners in the community - coupled with coverage from the Wandsworth Borough News, that showed the Conservatives that they could not wriggle out of their responsibility to Roehampton.

And since then Labour has been keeping up the pressure - we even featured the story in the last edition of The Putney Paper.

Roehampton Recreation Club will reopen on Wednesday 9th January; and during the following weekend (13th and 14th January) admission will be free - there'll also be goodie bags and balloons for kids. Click here for a map.