Forres House Community Centre users rally against potential Moray Council closure amid cost-cutting measures.
The council might close it to save money. Consultants said the center loses money, and they also think closing it won’t hurt much. But many groups use the community center a lot.
Groups like Peeps toddler group meet there. Also, Highland Youth Theatre uses it. Forres Girls FC and other groups use it too, including Tai Chi, yoga, writing, and martial arts.
People also play badminton and basketball there. Indoor cycling and boxercise happen there too! They do kettlebells, abs, baby massage, circuit exercise and bowls with walking football also a regular feature.
Moray Dance teaches kids there every week. Rosalyn and Stephanie are upset about closing it. Rosalyn does not know where else to teach, as finding another good spot is hard.
Jenny teaches a class called ‘FLexercise’ there. She took over for her mom, Pam. Over thirty women attend each week, with some having been going since 1972! Pam still teaches seniors a class.
Jenny and Pam want them to stay healthy. Pam says exercise helps their mental state and also helps seniors stay active more. Jenny used the center her whole life.
Helen runs Sassy Seniors, an exercise group. Twenty people go every Thursday morning, having been meeting for twenty years now! They are very sad about possibly moving.
Bev belongs to Forres Netball team. They meet at the center every Thursday. Losing that space would be a big problem, as there is no other place in Forres to play right now.
Claire goes to Forres House with her sons. Multiple groups use the shared space, and she says it’s a good place to meet people. It’s always busy, making closure seem odd, and she says groups cannot easily move.
Anna runs Forres Coffee House in the center. They signed a ten-year lease with the council, feel welcome there, and see lots of people. Many people grab coffee and then use the library.
The council says they have no closure plans right now. They are reviewing leisure services for sustainability and may share proposals later, and ask for feedback. They will consider community asset transfers.
If people lose jobs, they will find new ones. The council already cut costs by £4.1 million, and they will meet soon to finalize service changes.