The very first act of Greenhill Community Trust CIC, whom the council have just given a 30 year lease to manage the Greenhill beach chalets for the community, was to offer individual chalet users and the Jurassic Rocks café 3 and 5 year deals whilst offering Weymouth Bay Sea Swimmers CIC just 6 months!

We asked why and tried to meet them to discuss it, but they refused. Then they padlocked the gate and effectively closed our small volunteer operated community business.

Greenhill Communuty Trust CIC can simply offer us a new licence on the same terms as the other chalet users. There are even empty chalets close to our current location that we could convert and use. They need to talk to us, not threaten and punish us for standing our ground on behalf of the many swimmers who rely on our hut year round to help their mental and physical illnesses and keep fit.

We have had extensive contact with Weymouth Town Council and Dorset Council at the highest level and, despite the former authority Weymouth & Portland Borough Council (just dissolved to create the two above) having given the lease to Greenhill Community Trust CIC it seems that both new councils do not feel any responsibility at all for the current situation. Both councils are telling us that this is a private legal matter between our CIC and Greenhill Communuty Trust CIC. So basically two councils, one of whom is the freeholder of a building that was given to the wider community, are trying to duck doing anything to help one of the most successful and publicly appreciated initiatives of the last few years in Weymouth,. We know they have the power to act because they have told us they do but they just keep stating their legal position. 

Our innovative social enterprise has been trampled upon for using innovative ways to make old buildings more accessible to the wider community whilst promoting and supporting health and well-being.

Is this what the 'new' Weymouth should be known for? Of course not.

Please sign our petition.

I started this petition because…
My name is Jason West and the secure swim centre was created from the Weyforward Ideas League over two years ago. I am also a year round sea swimmer and director of Weymouth Bay Sea Swimmers CIC. Sea swimming and cold water swimming has huge health benefits and is growing rapidly. Many swimmers come to Weymouth to use the facility whilst they train or just enjoy our lovely bay. Sea and Channel swimming has a long and glorious history in Weymouth but Greenhill Community Trust CIC seemingly don't care about that or all of the hard work swimmers have put in to making their facility serve so many swimmers of all ages and abilities. Please help us to ask them to be reasonable.