Bethnal Green Weightlifting Club (BGWLC) has been given an extra three months in their building, extending their stay beyond their initial 31st January deadline.
The club is thought to be at least a hundred years old, with photographic evidence dating as far back as 1926; it could possibly be the oldest weightlifting gym in Britain.
Last August, the club was handed a Section 25 notice by Tower Hamlets Council, notifying them that they must vacate the gym’s premises by the end of January. That deadline has now been extended by three months.
The council have reportedly said the building will be re-appropriated as a residents’ hub, but a Freedom of Information request has revealed that there are in fact no formal plans for the space.
Head Coach, Martin Bass, says, “There’s still no part of this venture that makes any sense”.
“We’ve got a 100-year-old institution, and – supposedly – they want to replace it with a residents’ hub. So, they’ll destroy us, in order to put a phone and a laptop in here?”
‘This place has helped us immensely’
Taras Lyntovskyi first arrived in London in 2022, after he and his wife were unable to return to their home country of Ukraine. They were already serial weightlifters before coming to the UK.
“The first time me and my wife came here, we understood very quickly that we’re in the right place. You look around, you look all along the walls. It’s like that movie, you know it? Rocky Balboa?”
“This place has helped us immensely. We didn’t have very good English, and they helped us very very much. This place is a diamond.”
Taras Lyntovskyi arrived in London after war broke out in Ukraine (Photo: Oliver Lawrence)
Taras was keen to emphasise the special atmosphere of the club, and wanted to give a stark reminder about protecting communities:
“It’s very easy to destroy something – I’m Ukrainian, I would know – but trying to build something is not the same. This is a place with many different people, but all with one vision”.
That aspect of diversity is something which stood out for Head Coach, Martin:
“The club ticks all the boxes – whatever those boxes are supposed to be. We’re a cross section of modern London. And we haven’t gone out looking for anyone. People just gravitate here, and that’s what this is all about.”
Charlotte Macauly has said the club has given her “purpose”. (Photo: Oliver Lawrence)
And for Charlotte Macauly, BGWLC has offered her more than a sense of community – it’s given her a purpose.
‘I remember leaving my first session here, and I cried all the way home. I’d been struggling a lot with my mental health, but after leaving here I felt like I’d discovered what I wanted to do with my life. It was nice to have that feeling of purpose for the first time.’
‘Worrying growing lack of safe spaces across London’
The club’s predicament is becoming less and less of a rarity in London. As Martin recognised: “Really, what’s happening here is a simple story for you. Because it’s happening all over the city.”
In recent months, Broad Street Boxing Club has also faced closure by Tower Hamlets Council. And elsewhere in East London, community kitchens and gymnastics centres have come under threat.
A report published last year by Foundation For Future London shows that almost ten community centres have been closed per year since 2018.
Sarah Nelson, its CEO, said:
“The growing lack of safe spaces and services across London is worrying. While some boroughs have made strides in opening new amenities like parks or sports centres, others are falling behind – with closures outpacing openings.
“These findings reinforce the need for greater investment to develop and protect vital community spaces across London.”
A meeting was set to be held with councillors and representatives from BGWLC on Wednesday evening, but details of this meeting are unclear.
We approached Tower Hamlets Council for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
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HeadlineHistoric London weightlifting club receives three-month reprieve from eviction
Short HeadlineHistoric London weightlifting club gets short reprieve from eviction
StandfirstThe century-old Bethnal Green Weightlifting Club was set to close at the end of the month
Bethnal Green Weightlifting Club (BGWLC) has been given an extra three months in their building, extending their stay beyond their initial 31st January deadline.
The club is thought to be at least a hundred years old, with photographic evidence dating as far back as 1926; it could possibly be the oldest weightlifting gym in Britain.
Last August, the club was handed a Section 25 notice by Tower Hamlets Council, notifying them that they must vacate the gym’s premises by the end of January. That deadline has now been extended by three months.
The council have reportedly said the building will be re-appropriated as a residents’ hub, but a Freedom of Information request has revealed that there are in fact no formal plans for the space.
Head Coach, Martin Bass, says, “There’s still no part of this venture that makes any sense”.
“We’ve got a 100-year-old institution, and – supposedly – they want to replace it with a residents’ hub. So, they’ll destroy us, in order to put a phone and a laptop in here?”
‘This place has helped us immensely’
Taras Lyntovskyi first arrived in London in 2022, after he and his wife were unable to return to their home country of Ukraine. They were already serial weightlifters before coming to the UK.
“The first time me and my wife came here, we understood very quickly that we’re in the right place. You look around, you look all along the walls. It’s like that movie, you know it? Rocky Balboa?”
“This place has helped us immensely. We didn’t have very good English, and they helped us very very much. This place is a diamond.”
Taras Lyntovskyi arrived in London after war broke out in Ukraine (Photo: Oliver Lawrence)
Taras was keen to emphasise the special atmosphere of the club, and wanted to give a stark reminder about protecting communities:
“It’s very easy to destroy something – I’m Ukrainian, I would know – but trying to build something is not the same. This is a place with many different people, but all with one vision”.
That aspect of diversity is something which stood out for Head Coach, Martin:
“The club ticks all the boxes – whatever those boxes are supposed to be. We’re a cross section of modern London. And we haven’t gone out looking for anyone. People just gravitate here, and that’s what this is all about.”
Charlotte Macauly has said the club has given her “purpose”. (Photo: Oliver Lawrence)
And for Charlotte Macauly, BGWLC has offered her more than a sense of community – it’s given her a purpose.
‘I remember leaving my first session here, and I cried all the way home. I’d been struggling a lot with my mental health, but after leaving here I felt like I’d discovered what I wanted to do with my life. It was nice to have that feeling of purpose for the first time.’
‘Worrying growing lack of safe spaces across London’
The club’s predicament is becoming less and less of a rarity in London. As Martin recognised: “Really, what’s happening here is a simple story for you. Because it’s happening all over the city.”
In recent months, Broad Street Boxing Club has also faced closure by Tower Hamlets Council. And elsewhere in East London, community kitchens and gymnastics centres have come under threat.
A report published last year by Foundation For Future London shows that almost ten community centres have been closed per year since 2018.
Sarah Nelson, its CEO, said:
“The growing lack of safe spaces and services across London is worrying. While some boroughs have made strides in opening new amenities like parks or sports centres, others are falling behind – with closures outpacing openings.
“These findings reinforce the need for greater investment to develop and protect vital community spaces across London.”
A meeting was set to be held with councillors and representatives from BGWLC on Wednesday evening, but details of this meeting are unclear.
We approached Tower Hamlets Council for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
