This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Petition Allow gyms and leisure centres to reopen
The goal is to get the government to rethink their decision to close gyms and leisure centres and to come to an agreement to reopen them. As myself and many people rely on gym as part of therapy or a source of happiness I think it would be beneficial for all to reopen them.
More details
We want the government to change its decision and allow gyms and leisure centres across the UK to reopen. This is because people rely on these facilities to reach their goals of fitness. Shutting gyms limits opportunities to exercise which could affect people’s mental and physical wellbeing.
This petition is closed This petition ran for 6 months
Parliament debated this topic
This topic was debated on 15 July 2020
Government responded
This response was given on 13 May 2020
The Government recognises the importance of physical activity to the nation’s wellbeing and is working with the leisure sector to reopen facilities as soon as possible in a safe and controlled way.
Read the response in full
The Government recognises the importance of physical activity to the nation’s health and wellbeing and is working with the gym and leisure sector to reopen facilities as soon as possible in a safe and controlled way. Government’s first priority is to ensure that Covid-19 is brought under control and that actions it takes do not undermine efforts to protect public health.
Government is in discussions with a range of sports organisations, including the gym and leisure sector, about the actions that would need to be taken to restart grassroots sport and reopen facilities in a safe way. It has asked sport and physical activity organisations to consider what steps they would need to take, and guidance they would need to develop, to allow this to happen. This will be used to support the government’s decision-making around future public health guidelines.
This is not straightforward. There are many issues to consider, including how gyms could reopen and operate whilst meeting social distancing guidelines, how access in and out of facilities may need to be changed, whether facilities will have enough workers to operate safely and effectively, and whether people will be willing to come back to gyms if they do reopen. The Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy is also considering what guidance is needed on how workplaces can operate effectively and safely once the lockdown starts to ease.
The Government has also published updated guidance on grassroots sport which sets out information on the phased return of outdoor sport and recreation. This includes further details for members of the public on how they can take unlimited exercise outside, and on the steps that outdoor facilities need to take to re-open, should they wish to do so, from Wednesday 13 May. As part of this, people will be able to exercise outdoors one-on-one with a personal trainer, providing that social distancing is maintained.
Government is clear that keeping people physically active is very important for a large number of reasons, including physical and mental health. However, as the government has made clear, the overwhelming priority of its plan for addressing the next phase of the virus is to keep the country safe. As such, a return to physical activity and grassroots sport, including reopening gyms and leisure centres will need to be done in a way that is: consistent with public health guidelines; minimises risk to participants and volunteer and staff; communicated clearly and consistently with guidance consistent across different sports and activities to reduce the risk of confusion; flexible so that arrangements can be altered and adapted if restrictions or public health advice is changed.
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Related activity
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MPs will discuss the Government’s approach to easing the lockdown, in light of petitions about easing Covid-19 restrictions on certain sectors, businesses and activities which have gained over 287,000 signatures. Chloe Smith MP, Minister of State at the Cabinet Office, will respond for the Government.
This session has been scheduled because sittings in Westminster Hall (where e-petitions are normally debated) are still suspended as part of Parliament’s arrangements for adapting to the Coronavirus outbreak, and because the Government has not provided more time for debates on e-petitions in the main Chamber of the House of Commons.
In this session, MPs will be able to take part in person or remotely via video link. This will be the first time that MPs will discuss e-petitions in this new hybrid format. Petitions sessions and debates are an opportunity for MPs to discuss the important issues raised by petitions, however they cannot directly change the law or result in a vote to implement the request of the petition.
Watch live from 2.30pm on Wednesday 15 July: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M23xrNJMaM8
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Watch the debate here: https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/0d08c5bb-04d0-4a34-b1d1-8efba0179f9c?in=14:36:54
Read the transcript of the debate here: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2020-10-08/debates/4D1CBDF7-EC03-4509-90D0-C3214FAA33BE/DigitalCultureMediaAndSportSupportMeasures
###Further information
Find out how to get involved in the work of the UK Parliament: https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/
Find out about the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/378/digital-culture-media-and-sport
Follow the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Twitter:
@CommonsDCMS
DCMS Committee to hear from sports facility representatives on surviving the pandemic
On Tuesday 12 December, a group of MPs called the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee will hear from the gym industry on making sure our sports facilities, including pools and leisure centres, can survive the pandemic.
Watch the session from 10 am on Tuesday 12 January on Parliament’s streaming site: https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/c4f1d7a0-2370-412b-8d88-a297b6abf06a
This 'evidence session' is part of the Committee's inquiry into Sport in our communities. The Committee will hear from two panels:
Panel 1 (10 am to 11 am)
Rich Emerson, CEO, The Climbing Academy, and Chair of the Association of British Climbing Walls.
Rebecca Passmore, UK Managing Director, PureGym
Panel 2 (11 to 12 pm)
Marg Mayne, CEO, Mytime Active, and Treasurer of Community Leisure UK
Huw Edwards, CEO, ukactive
The session is part of a longer inquiry looking into Sport in our communities. You can find out more here: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/647/sport-in-our-communities/
You can get involved with the inquiry by recording your own video message or short film to answer the question: What does community sport mean to me?
You must follow current COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions when filming your video- do not put yourself and others at risk. You can use animation, film your video indoors and you don’t need to film outside. We want to hear about why community sport is important to you and why it matters to you.
Find out more here: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/647/sport-in-our-communities/news/123537/what-does-community-sport-mean-to-you-contribute-to-our-inquiry/
Further information
Find out how to get involved in the work of the UK Parliament: https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/
Find out about the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/378/digital-culture-media-and-sport
Follow the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Twitter:
@CommonsDCMS and take part in this discussion with #MyCommunitySport
Find out how Select Committees work:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_2RDuDs44c