Jack Hudson

WHEN news broke regarding Playford Council taking over the John McVeity Centre in late 2020, many residents were shocked.

They’d taken to Facebook to vent their disbelief with no clear outlook as to what would occur from 2021 and beyond.

Residents Joyce Wagner and Ellen Clare said the news devastated them and they wanted to enact change.

“We’ve both been members of the YMCA, we know each other here – it’s a community for us,” Ms Clare said.

“Everyone was devastated because of the job losses for those here, there was no clarity whether they’d be re-employed.

“One of my main concerns was for the elderly and disadvantaged people around this area.

“People who work out here feel more comfortable, they don’t have to be macho or a super model to work out here.

“I was big when I first started, and I didn’t feel like I was being judged, people were very supportive.”

She added her first move was to get a group together.

“We were told the gym would shut and some fitness classes would be still going,” she said.

“The first instinct I had was to make a group, let’s try to keep this (going).

“After I made the group, I met Joyce in the gym and she said she was going to write a letter to council and we worked on it together.”

Playford councillor Clint Marsh praised the response council had to residents’ enquiries.

“There was a communication breakdown to whoever the stakeholder was, but credit to the City of Playford that it reacted positively and promptly to any questions residents had on this,” he said.

“The elected members that were able to come along were also very supportive.”

“We wouldn’t have been able to do it without the help of Clint Marsh, Peter Rentoulis and David Kerrison,” Ms Wagner added.

In less than a month and during a COVID-19 lockdown period in November, their hard copy petition had 95 signatures while online had 238.

Now, 75 per cent of the gym equipment remains after it was initially proposed for it all to be gone, most JMC staff remain employed by JMC Centre, group fitness classes have remained similar, court sports have returned, crèche opens three days a week while most patrons continue to pay the same rate.

Council is also working on more activities and events for the community at the JMC.