Last week was without doubt one of my most depressing weeks since being involved in sport here at Lancaster. Having to tell two University Clubs and College teams that their facilities for matches and training will be taken away from them for the remainder of this term was something I had to do with a very heavy heart. Due to the re-surfacing work which is taking place to the Tennis Courts by the main entrance to the University and the Netball Courts by the current Sports Centre, an injury list of the affected teams reads as the following: three University Tennis sides, three University Netball, the Women’s Rugby Union team, and 15 college Netball teams. For those of you who do not know my old position within LUSU, I was Inter College Sports Co-ordinator, a role which had very close ties with some of the people who have been most severely affected with this problem and so it has been a personal mission of mine to fight for the fairest deal with regards to this resurfacing and all parties involved, but my attempts were to no avail and fell on deaf ears.
This process is something that should have happened over the course of the summer, and yet this task has been sat in University House for the entire of the vacation to ensure “value for money” from the project. What I would ask those responsible for this action, or lack thereof, is where on earth is the “value for money” for those who wish to compete for and represent the University, or their college? I certainly can’t see it, and neither can the many students whom this affects and to whom I have had to give this disappointing news.
These types of bullying tactics should be something the University should be striving to eradicate. Surely the greatest benefit to the students is when the institution and the Student’s Union work in unison, not in opposition to each other.
It is key to remember in this situation, however, that the facilities gained after this work has taken place are going to be much better than what we have had to deal with at present; but in keeping with what seems to be a common theme of the University not sticking to their promises, poor time management has led to the sorry state of affairs we are in today – students being at a disadvantage as a result of something well beyond their control. All that is left to say on the matter is let us look to the future and to seeing our teams flourish, but in the mean time I hope the external options which are being looked at by both myself and Kim Montgomery, the Director of Sport will help relieve some of the pain of the long wait for the teams affected.
