UKC

Lindsey Climbing Club, a voluntary organisation based in Cleethorpes, is looking for a new venue in which it can practise its sport after the club received a short-notice eviction letter from the new owners of the premises it has hired for the past 25 years.

This decision, which was taken without any discussion or consultation with the club’s committee, its members or the wider community, places the club in a difficult situation because there are no other climbing walls situated in the borough of North East Lincolnshire...

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=55221

In reply to UKC News:

I would hope the local and national papers are contacted to warn what may happen to places wishing to be self regulating academies.

A letter to the PM may also be useful as if news of this sort of thing gets out it could be embarrassing for the government.

Whatever happened to joined up thinking?

In reply to sutty:

Hi Sutty

Thanks for that. We are sorting out some publicity with the press - I think it's important for people to know what is happening, even if they stand firm on the eviction. I've been told (although it hasn't been confirmed) that some other sports clubs (football leagues) might be facing a similar problem in relation to this particular organisation.

As for the joined up thinking, I think that might have been shelved along with community spirit and moral conscience...

I grew up in Cleethorpes. At 18 a friend took me along to the wall at Lindsey School where I met Pete Pounds, chairman of Lindsey Climbing Club.

In 1984, while teaching at Lindsey School, Pete asked his then Head for permission to build a climbing wall. After receiving approval from the county architects he contacted Graham Desroy and one of the first DR climbing walls in the UK was constructed. Streaky even signed it. Lindsey Climbing Club was born.

With the nearest rock over an hour away, those 2 hours on the wall each Thursday in the school gym become for me an opportunity to train, to share experiences, to meet climbing partners and to learn ‘the ropes’. Crucially they provided an opportunity to stumble upon a sport, a way of life, a way of living, which simply would not have been there otherwise.

Pete's contribution to climbing in North East Lincolnshire cannot be underestimated.

His enthusiasm and passion for climbing over the last 40 years are only eclipsed by his continuing love of introducing others to the sport – the countless pupils on one of the many 'summer camps' he organised at Stanage, local teenagers looking for direction away from the arcades on the sea front, local adults looking for nothing in particular, but discovering something truly life changing. People including Andy Cave, Shaun Hutson and Mike Lea. All made to feel welcome, whatever their ability or experience, and all valued equally.

It is this inclusiveness that makes the club so special and of such value, and that places it at the very center of the local community.

But this isn’t just about Pete Pounds. While he remains the driving force behind the club there are now others willing to carry on the ethos established by him and to move the club forward. People like Steve Kirman, who understands that the wall serves community and climbers alike.

This is a club in rude health, packed every week, run by volunteers and operating from a facility that costs very little to open and maintain. A club that could easily take a positive and significant role in contributing towards the stated vision, purpose, values and ethos of the Tollbar Edge Cleethorpes Academy, who wish to evict it. A club already at the very center of the community that this academy aims to serve.

Evicting Lindsey Climbing Club and closing the school wall, as The Tollbar Edge wish to do, contradicts their own stated aims for the new academy. Fundamentally, in my opinion, it would not be in the best interest of the young people of Cleethorpes and I urge them to reconsider.

In reply to the baron: C&P this entire post into an email to them and any national and local newspapers you care to name.

In reply to Steve Kirman (Lindsey CC): Good luck. Presumably they have shelved team work, common sense and employability as well.

In reply to stewieatb: How about the Times Educational Supplement?

In reply to UKC News:
You can use the email address enquiries@tollbaredge.org to send emails to them. I suggest everyone fires off a quick one-liner, or more if you have time. I suffer slightly from keyboard-before-thought syndrome, so here's mine:

To whom it may concern,

I have recently read your very profoundly inspiring vision statement, in particular the opening paragraph, which states:

"The Tollbar Edge vision for the Tollbar Edge Cleethorpes Academy comes from the concept of an Academy at the centre of its community, designed to raise aspirations through the provision of excellent education and the delivery of the Every Child Matters agenda. The new Academy, in partnership with Tollbar College, would work with both statutory and voluntary local partners, continue to promote extended learning facilities for adults as well as students and would seek to develop further a range of extracurricular activities including sport and performing arts."

In fact if I'm honest I haven't read the rest of your statement, as I assume it is just as dishonest as the first paragraph, and I've got better things to do.

I wonder if you could enlighten me as to how evicting an active, volunteer run, community based, local climbing club, promoting extracurricular activities and sport, at the centre of the community, which has been actively raising aspirations for over 20 years, fits with this statement? Could you also tell me in what way the voluntary local partners were consulted prior to the decision being made?

I look forward to your timely response,

Andrew Simpson
(a concerned climber, concerned both at the precedent this sets for "self governing" academies and at the example the blatant dishonesty of the PR spin blowing forth from your website will set for the students you are going to be teaching.)

In reply to UKC News:
Whilst I have every sympathy with Lindsey Climbing Club, it is probably an exaggeration to say that without the wall "the club could not operate". Most clubs do not have their own climbing wall, and indeed clubs operated perfectly well for years before the advent of climbing walls. However it is undoubtedly true that without the wall the club will not be able to operate in its current manner, especially in the absence of other facilities in the area.

The wall is clearly an important resource, not just for the club but for the wider community and in particular the school's own pupils, which makes it all the more surprising that the new owners should have taken this position, especially without consultation. Not only does it contradict their own mission statement, it flies in the face of government policies to make schools part of the wider community.

In addition to press publicity, I would suggest involving the local MP and perhaps even writing direct to the new Education Minister, who seems keen to promote academies and perhaps won't be keen to see one attracting adverse publicity.

A final thought - what was the basis of the hire agreement? I would be surprised if the school authorities or LEA allowed the club to install the wall without some kind of documentation. This might include specific provisions for termination, including perhaps a minimum notice period.

In reply to the baron:

It's true, Pete works tirelessly with new people who come to the club - he taught me from being a total beginner and he's still doing the same now (and as you'll know, he's no spring chicken!)

PS I'm sure Pete would be keen to know who the baron is.. feel free to drop me or him a line to say hi!

In reply to Howard J:

You're right, the club can and will continue to operate regardless of Tollbar's decisions... we love the club and the sport far too much to let them get in the way!

Obviously, Tollbar's decision and the fact they haven't even had the courtesy to talk to us about it isn't at all helpful (we've sent two letters now and not had a reply to either of them, one of which went to David Hampson, the top man there), but that's that and we are up for adapting if necessary.

At the moment, we are in talks with a couple of other venues - one of which is an academy which was extremely welcoming to the idea of housing our wall and skilled instructors: in fact, when I went to meet them, they pretty much bit my hand off - they see it as a fantastic and rare opportunity, something which Tollbar seem to be missing altogether. Anyway, more news on that will come when we have it.

In reply to adpsimpson: I reckon that being sarcastic and accusing them of being dishonest is just likely to get their backs up and definitely makes it easier for them to ignore your email. Perhaps they have a good reason - just one that they have totally failed to communicate. But until some more facts are known, I would have thought polite and questioning rather than sarcy is more likely to lead to compromise.