A PETITION has been launched in a bid to save a Hampshire gym.

More than 1,000 people have signed up to a petition aimed at reopening Samson’s Gym in Chamberlayne Road, Eastleigh, after its closure earlier this month.

This comes after the owner of the gym Daniel Harkins and a group of people were jailed at the start of this month after admitting kidnapping a businessman.

 

(Daniel Harkins)

Now longstanding gym member Julian Howard has launched a petition in a bid to convince Eastleigh Borough Council, which owns the building, to retain the gym at the site.

He said the building is suitable for the type of training and equipment members need.

Julian added that they want to keep training in the same building together as it is what they are used to.

“One thousand people cannot be wrong,” the 38-year-old said.

Mr Howard, who is from Eastleigh and works in a bank as assistant relationship director, had been training at the gym in Chamberlayne Road for the past 10 years.

He added: “If you ask anyone who trains there you will always get a positive story about how this place has changed their lives for the better.

“It’s not just a gym, it’s a place to escape the daily grind, to challenge yourself and in many cases make long term friendships.

“Independent gyms are slowly disappearing around the country but they offer something that many of their commercial counterparts do not. They have specialist equipment that you will not find anywhere else and cater for a wider spectrum of fitness training.”

In the past few years several bodybuilding and boxing champions as well as Strongman competitors visited the gym and trained with members.

 

Mr Howard said there is a businessman interested in opening a new gym at the site and they are going to meet town bosses in Eastleigh to discuss plans for the future of the building.

“We want the council to keep the building as a gym and don’t turn it into a block of flats. As members we want to work together to come to a solution that is suitable for everyone,”Mr Howard added.

Cllr Paul Bicknell, chair of Eastleigh Local Area Committee, said: “The gym closed because the company operating the facility filed for voluntary liquidation. For legal, health and safeguarding reasons the council secured the premises. The council are currently reviewing all options for the site and will be in discussions with interested parties.”