Lobby the University on more gym space and monthly membership
Category: Idea
Voting closed
Firstly, I believe that there should be an option for students to pay a monthly membership. As of this year, students can now pay in instalments of about £90. I'd argue that students do not always have this bulk sum of money, especially as the instalments are in months like January when students often have little money after Christmas. Gym facilities are important for mental and physical wellbeing and should be accessible for all.
Secondly, perhaps the accessibility students desire is unsustainable in a gym of this size, which could be why the monthly payment is unavailable. I'd argue that the Guild should either talk to the University about expanding gym space, or find other ways to promote access of students to gym facilities.
Comments
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It discriminates EU Students as we don't have any grants and loans and we usually work, so we get paid every month. We cannot afford to pay upfront as UK students do.
Over the past year, the Student Officer team have worked with Sport Liverpool on several key areas of improvement to their services. Feedback provided to Sport Liverpool included: unclear information on memberships on their website, requests for improved casual access to sports, and improved accessibility of sporting equipment. The Officers sit on a University committee, supporting work on developing Sport Liverpool’s Strategy for 2026, which is setting out plans to create a more active campus for all, with inclusivity held as a priority. This has been extended to include all aspects of EDI, including race. This strategy has now been approved by the Council and FSLT, and will be implemented accordingly. Changes have also been made to Sport Liverpool’s website.
Gym and AU fees have been another crucial element of the Officers’ work with Sport Liverpool. As part of this, requests for clarification between levels of membership and what services these include were made, as well as the introduction of a fully-flexible monthly direct debit for Premium membership. After a successful trial of this payment method, Sport Liverpool also agreed to implement a similar option for Standard membership. The Officers’ also lobbied for the introduction of an AU + gym membership, allowing AU members to just pay one set price.
Over the past few years, Sport Liverpool have invested in improving their sporting facilities. This includes the introduction of an outdoor track, gym + half court. This outdoor space is free for everyone to use, and includes a free weights section and other workout equipment. Classes are also run here regularly. You can read more about the free facilities and activities available here: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/sports/free-activities/