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Bring back Crowtree
Bobby White, front centre, with his six year old son Daniel and fellow campaigners who want to see Sunderland's Crowtree Leisure Centre reviatlised.
THOUSANDS of people are throwing their weight behind a campaign to return Crowtree Leisure Centre to its glory days.
Dad-of-two Bobby White began the Bring Back Crowtree (BBC) petition, after realising his son was missing out on the memories he had of fun times at the centre’s pool and ice rink.
Although Crowtree is still operating as sports courts, its ice rink closed in 2000, and the pool and gym shut in 2008 to be replaced by the Aquatic Centre, despite a campaign to keep it open.
“Since the demise of the Crowtree Leisure Centre there is a massive lack of things to do in Sunderland,” said Bobby, 40, from Red House.
“We miss the ice rink and pool and want our kids to have the fun and memories we had.
“An Olympic pool is no match for what we once had. Sunderland needs a new super leisure centre for the health and well being of our next generation.
“We want back our ice rink, we want back our fun pool areas with slides. We want back the fun factor.”
In the two weeks since data manager Bobby launched his campaign, 4,500 people have joined his Bring Back Crowtree Facebook page, and more than 850 have signed an online petition.
More than 100,000 signatures are required, however, before the issue will be considered for debate by MPs in the House of Commons.
Bobby, dad to Luke, 12, and Daniel, six, said: “I was talking to my son a couple of weeks ago and he didn’t even realise that Sunderland once had an ice rink.
“It’s such a shame he doesn’t have the memories we have of the centre.
“It was such a big thing in Sunderland, everyone went there. Even ex-pats have joined the Facebook page and are sharing their memories of the centre.
“Everyone from the centre’s era has memories of going to the swimming or ice-skating disco on a Friday night. But kids now will have memories of sitting in a park drinking.”
Bobby added: “I know we have the Aquatic Centre, but it’s not family-friendly.
“It’s only good for lane swimming and you can’t even park there on match days. Maybe they can’t bring back Crowtree to the way it was, but we need a fun leisure centre again.
“I realise you need 100,000 signatures before the issue will be considered for debate, but the support in just two weeks has been amazing so who knows.”
l You can follow the BBC campaign on Twitter @BBCrowtree or like the Facebook group by searching for Bring Back Crowtree Leisure Centre.
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Comments
There are 64 comments to this article
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Oscarwilde
Sunday, February 26, 2012 at 04:59 PMThe so called council of Sunderland have no interest in revamping the Crowtree centre as it in prime retail land. The council intend to move lesiure facilities out of town .
legionare8
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 10:36 PMcome on sunderland council can not re open the main CITY CENTRE LESURE CENTRE they have to build a new one in washington so they can close it in 30 odd years time
auldphart
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 12:12 PMI just checked, in case I was dreaming. Yup there it is, Washington has been selected for a NEW Leisure Centre. Hard cheese. The march continues Westwards! :-)
gary duncan is the gravedigger
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 03:33 PMThats a good idea Allan and one that im sure the crowtree would suggest to the council. you see though, gravedigger doesnt want the council to fund it and also doesnt want a private company to fund it as well. guessing he would rather it just didnt happen then.
Alan22
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 03:28 AMThe best public asset we have is the Empire. Which is ran by the Ambassador Theatre Group a private bussiness. The council should make a same kind of deal with someone like Duncan Bannatyne to run the crowtree.
GreggsPastyEater
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 01:56 PMThat was a nice dodge of the question though gravedigger.
gary duncan is the gravedigger
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 10:39 AMPending Moderation
the gravedigger
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 10:05 PMTo garyduncanlikesthesoundofhisownvoice: What is it with your obsessive focus on this Gary Duncan person? Are you lonely perhaps and want him to cuddle you? What's up with you? Why don't you stick to the issue and stop harping on endlessly about this character? The moderator should have a word with you about your insistence on mentioning someone constantly who isn't even taking part in this debate. Now, back to the leisure centre.....
Phantom
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 04:46 PMI am all for more facilities in the city centre, including leisure facilities to replace what is lost from Crowtree - but I think looking at it logically, we should look at getting a new, modern leisure complex built - which would be more of a benefit than trying to keep Crowtree. It not only looks a clip, but it would need a hell of a lot of work and money thrown at it to bring it up to the standard required to cater for a modern society. With all that land at Vaux going to waste it would make perfect sense to built a new leisure complex here as part of the whole development plan - or, if the plan is still to move the civic to this site (which was one of the plans by Sunderland Arc) then the old civic site could be an ideal opportunity for a new facility as it will be demolished anyway. Sad thing is, as we are all saying far too often is - the council do not have any vision for our city or are actually willing to focus on development for the city centre - we get master plan after master plan and nothing comes to fruition - its a joke!! Give me the cities cheque book, and in 5 years from now I bet I could transform the city centre from a derelict old fashioned dump into a buzzing metropolis - with 1000s of new jobs being created and a city centre buzzing with life, facilities, modern arts, offices, apartments, hotels, and a road system that works! Make business rates attractive enough, and incentives for developers and you could really get things moving!!!!!!!!!!!
gary duncan is the gravedigger
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 02:50 PMGravedigger- you deny that you are Gary Duncan in this article and deny that you even know him, however in an article from last year you posted (and I quote "the gravedigger Monday, March 28, 2011 at 07:56 PM Actually, Faustus, I know Gary Duncan personally") Someone telling porkies GARY!
the gravedigger
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 12:52 PMCan I make something very very clear? I am not opposed to a new or refurbished leisure centre in the centre of Sunderland. On the contrary, I am all for central and affordable sports and leisure facilities and would love to see the Crowtree restored back to its former condition. However, my concern is the rapid expansion of private business which is destroying the public sector and squeezing the democracy out of society. I'm not against the Crowtree campaign, I would just like to see people paying more attention to the bigger picture.
the gravedigger
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 12:38 PMRespect to you, Biephsi, for defending a fellow anti-fascist. I'm sure this Gary Duncan character will be very pleased to learn of your message of solidarity - assuming he actually reads these threads.
auldphart
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 11:32 PMForget it the decision has been made. We are getting it at Washington. :-)
Mr_Mop
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 09:36 PMGood ideas. You should run for council. ;-)
Only human
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 07:17 PMMr Mop - if you did run for council you might find that things aren't as simple as you seem to think they are. But how about this. Give up on the shopping areas outside the bridges and convert the shops in to houses and flats, develope bars and resturants and turn the city centre into an urban centre where people might want to live. The era of the small shopping centre is gone, out of town and the internet has done for it. As for Crowtree, it's too old, small and the space could be better used, but how it ca be removed without causing chaos is anyones guess, demolotion probably wasn't thought about too much at the design stage
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