With regards to the Virgin Active closing down in Southgate, this is going to be the third Virgin Active to close down in a space of five years.
What Virgin Active is doing – and it’s becoming evident that they are shrinking and at the same time overcrowding the other gyms by diverting the members of the closed gyms to the existing ones.
I became a member of Southgate last October and now the gym is closing in July. What they are doing is unethical and I feel we need an expose them. The Southgate members are furious as this has happened before.
Imran Patel
Response from Virgin Active Spokesperson
Carla White
This was purely a business decision. Virgin Active Southgate is an older club, and even with extensive renovations, the club would not offer our members the high standard of facilities that are characteristic with our newer clubs.
It is of utmost importance to us that our members benefit from the latest innovation in design, facilities and services, and in this instance, a refurbishment would fall short of what we believe a contemporary health club should deliver.
While it may not be great news, we hope members will be smiling with the upgraded Premier (national access) membership contracts they have been offered. These upgrades are offered to club members at their current rate, i.e, no additional cost and allows them access to clubs around the country. There is nothing unethical about our decision to close one of our clubs. We know the capacities of surrounding clubs, and this is a consideration that is taken into account.
We have three other clubs within a 20km radius:
Southgate to Soweto is approximately 10.4 km apart – 16-minute drive
Southgate to Glenvista approximately 7.7 km apart – 11-minute drive
Southgate to Meyersdal is approximately 17.9 km apart – 17-minute drive
The club officially closes its doors on July 31. We have communicated to all members.
For free daily local news in the south, visit our sister newspapers Alberton Record, Comaro Chronicle, Southern Courier and Get it Joburg South Magazine.
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