Save The Armoury!

22nd January 2013

Jubilee Hall Trust is continuing to negotiate with Camden council over a new lease at The Armoury gym in Hampstead, which we have occupied since 1992. We want to continue to provide Camden residents with an affordable and inclusive health, fitness and wellness service with the aim of building a healthier local community.The Armoury is situated on the border with Gospel Oak Ward, described by Camden’s own Joint Strategic Needs Assessment cas ‘the most deprived Ward in Camden and among the 7% most deprived in England’. The least active people in Camden are those in the lower income groups and the over 55’s, and women are less active than men.
 
The Armoury has over 2000 current registered members, of whom 85% are Camden residents. An incredible 41% of those members receive a concessionary discount because they are over 60, students, unemployed people, disabled people, juniors or patients referred by their GPs. 57% of them are women. We also support the Heart 2 Heart cardiac rehabilitation group, which meets at the Armoury every Monday and which has registered over 18,000 attendances since it started. But The Armoury is much more than just a community gym, it is our base for outreach work to support many inactive, disadvantaged people in the local area. Through the Proactive Camden partnership, we have voluntarily worked with the council on programmes such as Give It A Go! and the Outdoor Gyms.
 
Looking at Camden council’s own strategic planning documents, The Armoury contributes to all five key objectives in The Camden Plan 2012-17 as well as to the aims in their report on A Borough of opportunity for people in their 50’s and beyond (2008-13).
 
We have recently sent deputations to both a council cabinet meeting on 16th January and a full council meeting on 21st January and negotiations continue. We are hopeful of a positive outcome to this process and are grateful for the outstanding support we have received from our gym members and the local community.