New Year’s resolutions have never really been my strong suit.
I always have the best of intentions, but when push comes to shove I just don’t seem to have the willpower.
But I am determined that 2024 is going to be my year!
I have been trying, as best I can, in recent weeks to focus on my health. I’ve signed up for a shiny new gym membership with David Lloyd and a subscription to the Zoe nutrition app – so long as my bank balance is taking a hit, surely I’ll be motivated to stick to it?
But the truth is, after a series of winter illnesses, festive indulgences and a run of bad weather, I already feel a bit like my money is going down the drain.
My boyfriend and I swithered a long time before committing to a fee-paying gym but, truth be told, the council-run facilities anywhere near us are pretty poor. And, with the sudden closure of Bucksburn swimming pool, we couldn’t be confident that any facility we started using would be around for long, and certainly not invested in.
Consistency is key – for exercise and public services
Although I am far from athlete status, I have already started to notice the benefits the changes to my lifestyle have made. My skin feels better, I am sleeping better, and I’m certainly less stressed.
To see real results, I know I am going to need consistency, which is usually my downfall. But, if I am seeing these tiny improvements in a matter of weeks, imagine the benefits when these healthy habits become part of my daily routine.
And imagine what it would be like if, after having developed these good habits for months or even years, my ability to continue with them was suddenly taken away, through no fault of my own.
This is why I can completely sympathise with the residents of Bucksburn who, at one point, thought they had lost their swimming pool for good.
Following a 287-day fiercely fought campaign by locals, Aberdeen City Council decided to make a U-turn on the closure.
The local authority said it had made the decision following research conducted on how the closure affected the community – particularly the vulnerable. It found elderly and disabled people were particularly impacted and, therefore, the decision would be reversed.
While I am delighted with the decision, why did it come to this?
Residents stood with banners, placards and megaphones outside council meetings for weeks on end. They staged protests, which were extensively covered in the local media, wrote letters and signed petitions.
Rarely have I seen locals so desperate to be heard. But, sadly, our councillors did not listen.
And, I wonder – if it were not for the threat of legal action, would the final outcome be the same?
It is ludicrous to think that those who signed off on the pool’s closure were not aware of the impact it could have on the residents before they did so. I know this because I stood outside the Town House and spoke to these people while they were pleading to be heard. Their determination and desperation were clear for all to see.
There is no doubt Aberdeen City Council needs to find ways to cut spending, but making hasty decisions before proper consultation has taken place has only cost the local authority more.
Bucksburn swimming pool to serve as a reminder
We’re now in a position where not only have the residents been without their much-needed pool for months, but it will now be a further drain on the taxpayer in order to reopen, as a result of a completely unnecessary renovation.
Since this fiasco, Aberdeen City Council seems to have resolved to change its ways, and has tried to engage with the public on this year’s budget. Perhaps this will be councillors’ New Year’s resolution?
We won’t know how much heed has been paid to local views until the next round of cuts is voted through
The scheme has, unsurprisingly, been met with scepticism by some. And, of course, we won’t know how much heed has been paid to local views until the next round of cuts is voted through.
But, if councillors and the top brass advising them need any motivation to stick to that resolution, they need look no further than the mothballed pool in Bucksburn, waiting to be refilled.
Rebecca Buchan is deputy head of news and sport for The Press and Journal and Evening Express
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