IT is with regret that I have to put another email together to bring to the attention of you all of the provision of reasonable open spaces and leisure facilities for the youth of Chatteris.
I have had lengthy emails with Councillor Alan Melton and Fenland District Council and I am particularly worried about how our youth can exercise and enjoy the open spaces in Chatteris.
Under 14 year-olds can not use council gym facilities without their parent and only on a handful of occasions during a week (surely a teenager going to secondary school should be able to use the facilities more often than this, the chances are we will lose them to obesity by the time they are allowed to use the Fenland gyms and this is a path of no return for most)
Over 14 year-olds and adults unless paying for a monthly gym membership can not use the Fenland gym outside of off peak hours, which is when the majority are at school or work.
They can not afford to pay for a monthly membership and there are no easy options available now to exercise in a gym environment.
Our parents said go to the park but all the open spaces and particularly Wenny Rec are not in any fit state any more to use.
Over the last two months I have visited Wenny Rec each day to assess its suitability to use for recreational purposes.
I know it has been wet and sometimes we have a drought and sometimes it’s cold but over the last two months you would not realistically be able to use the area to play sport or jog.
The grass is either too long or after being cut is all clumped together making it impossible to even enjoy a picnic.
For dog walkers we don’t even have a perimeter path to walk on so get soaking wet when trying to use the park and children on the way to Cromwell Community college have the same problem.
It appears Chatteris is the poor relation of Fenland because every other Fenland town has at least one nicely kept open space recreational ground with a nice path in it.
I don’t blame our children for not using it and deciding to hang out in town and outside the off licences.
They are not being given another choice.
They can’t use the gym and the recreational area might as well be sold for houses because under this council it is not being kept in a suitable condition.
Sell it, build us a pool and tell the under 14 year-olds you can’t use that as well.
Of course I am being dramatic but I am involved in Chatteris Town Youth Football and Chatteris Foxes Netball and care deeply about our young adults.
I want them to have the same options I had when growing up.
In my summer holiday I would play football, jog, play cricket and golf in the park and have a picnic as well. All these options are not available in Chatteris.
I understand cut backs but surely we deserve one decent area for recreation in a big town like Chatteris.
All the other open spaces are similar to Wenny Rec in condition and where there is long grass there is usually dog muck underneath.
I would like to know that you all care about the youth and are willing to address these concerns and improve facilities even if we just have one area mowed more often and kept a little nicer than its current state.
Many thanks for you time in reading this email. Please feel free to phone me or contact me regarding this as I will not rest until we provide to our youth and give them an option to enjoy exercise and get them away from the TV and Playstation.
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