I agree re Barnet although my experience of Hackney is better. I do find though that the hard concrete floor surrounding the mats in Barnet is a bit of a bother. I'd rather land on the soft floors at Hackney.
Take your point about Iain Scott (I never used it) but I guess I was thnking that if the members of a clubhouse had made a financial commitment then things might work out a little differently.
I tried to ensure that speedo-wrestlers stayed on firm ground and expanded its wrestling activities in all manner of ways.
We had a yahoo website with many thousands of members so I put an offer to them that if we turned the site to a subscription basis with everybody paying either £5 or £10 per month we could get the equipment we needed and the money to really upgrade the place. It would also have meant we could organise live video wrestling broadcasts with the wrestlers being well paid. Along with a hell of a lot more besides!
I think out of over 3000 website participants we only got 6 offers to participate!!! There is really just not the will among gay wrestlers in London anyway to organise anything substantial and meaningful.
I've packed in trying to organise gay wrestling events though I still do individual and small group coaching as trying to be ambitious for the community was proving pointless and exhausting. This is why though when guys and groups like Grapevine try to organise regular wrestling events they should be supported 1000% in their efforts.
Ed, Suggest you contact ianscott8 and get some information from him on the reliabily of London wrestlers and there attendance at meets and on pvt hire etc of when he had his speedo wrestlers matroom at grovepark.
If Hackney Matroom is going to upgrade there facilities then that can only be for the better as last time i used it, i found it to be very dirty and unhygenic and that was the first session of the day.
High Barnet matroom was always the opposite my only comment on there is that it could do with additional mats. The facility is always clean ,tidy, and warm as well. Andy has looked after the place very well.
I have received, just now, categorical assurances that Hackney is not closing and that in fact improvements are being made, so this may be an idea that has lost its urgency
Yes I am aware of these things. I cannot see that they are particularly difficult to navigate. There are of course many technical issues but I cannot see that they cannot be navigated.
The most important thing is to see whether the core of wrestlers perceive a need and whether they are interested in the principle of a collectively owned permanent facility.
If that support exists then the next step is to get people together and brainstorm the issues and see what comes out the wash
You would also need public liability insurance at a minimum level of 2 million pounds, contents insurance, Licence and permission to operate a martial arts club from local council. Fire safety certificate. Also toilet and shower facilities including a disabled toilet are a minimum requirement if you want to keep on the right side of the law.
I heard a rumour that Hackney may be closing. I'm not sure if it is true but I hope to find out soon. Anyway it started me thinking (I'm temporarily laid up and have too much time on my hands)of a plan. It goes like this.
Assume there are 30 reliable regular wrestlers in and around London. Assume each budgets £50 per month to pursue his hobby. That is a total spend of £1500 per month.
At present ,we're all terribly reliant on facilties and events that we do not control. If Hackney closes, Barnet will be quite over-subscribed.
Light industrial units (600-1200 square feet) can be rented on annual license just outside central London (Zone 2-3, not miles into the suburbs) for somewhere between £750 +VAT and £1,000 + VAT per month depending on size. These figures are from Bizspace which currently hosts Rochdale. 5 minutes on the phone threw up units in places such as Brixton, Camberwell and New Addington. All are easily accessible by public transport. All have ample parking. They are just examples.
It seems to me that a business plan could easily be written, in the form of a private limited company (which I am happy to run as secretary)in which members/shareholders pay a monthly sub and in return have unlimited access(subject to availablity) to a unit rented by that body and guests (accompanied by a member) pay a per-usage fee. Members also own the club's assets, such as the mats, which would be fairly easy to sell in the event of wind up.
Ironbull (94)
3/07/2012 2:47 PMI agree re Barnet although my experience of Hackney is better. I do find though that the hard concrete floor surrounding the mats in Barnet is a bit of a bother. I'd rather land on the soft floors at Hackney.
Take your point about Iain Scott (I never used it) but I guess I was thnking that if the members of a clubhouse had made a financial commitment then things might work out a little differently.
NO rose-tinted specs though.
wrestler4u (0)
10/08/2012 1:28 AM(In reply to this)
Hi,
I tried to ensure that speedo-wrestlers stayed on firm ground and expanded its wrestling activities in all manner of ways.
We had a yahoo website with many thousands of members so I put an offer to them that if we turned the site to a subscription basis with everybody paying either £5 or £10 per month we could get the equipment we needed and the money to really upgrade the place. It would also have meant we could organise live video wrestling broadcasts with the wrestlers being well paid. Along with a hell of a lot more besides!
I think out of over 3000 website participants we only got 6 offers to participate!!! There is really just not the will among gay wrestlers in London anyway to organise anything substantial and meaningful.
I've packed in trying to organise gay wrestling events though I still do individual and small group coaching as trying to be ambitious for the community was proving pointless and exhausting. This is why though when guys and groups like Grapevine try to organise regular wrestling events they should be supported 1000% in their efforts.
Iain
hardandy312 (44)
3/07/2012 1:48 PMEd, Suggest you contact ianscott8 and get some information from him on the reliabily of London wrestlers and there attendance at meets and on pvt hire etc of when he had his speedo wrestlers matroom at grovepark.
If Hackney Matroom is going to upgrade there facilities then that can only be for the better as last time i used it, i found it to be very dirty and unhygenic and that was the first session of the day.
High Barnet matroom was always the opposite my only comment on there is that it could do with additional mats. The facility is always clean ,tidy, and warm as well. Andy has looked after the place very well.
Ironbull (94)
3/07/2012 1:00 PMI have received, just now, categorical assurances that Hackney is not closing and that in fact improvements are being made, so this may be an idea that has lost its urgency
Ironbull (94)
3/07/2012 11:59 AMThanks Andy
Yes I am aware of these things. I cannot see that they are particularly difficult to navigate. There are of course many technical issues but I cannot see that they cannot be navigated.
The most important thing is to see whether the core of wrestlers perceive a need and whether they are interested in the principle of a collectively owned permanent facility.
If that support exists then the next step is to get people together and brainstorm the issues and see what comes out the wash
hardandy312 (44)
3/07/2012 11:07 AMYou would also need public liability insurance at a minimum level of 2 million pounds, contents insurance, Licence and permission to operate a martial arts club from local council. Fire safety certificate. Also toilet and shower facilities including a disabled toilet are a minimum requirement if you want to keep on the right side of the law.
Ironbull (94)
3/07/2012 10:04 AMI heard a rumour that Hackney may be closing. I'm not sure if it is true but I hope to find out soon. Anyway it started me thinking (I'm temporarily laid up and have too much time on my hands)of a plan. It goes like this.
Assume there are 30 reliable regular wrestlers in and around London. Assume each budgets £50 per month to pursue his hobby. That is a total spend of £1500 per month.
At present ,we're all terribly reliant on facilties and events that we do not control. If Hackney closes, Barnet will be quite over-subscribed.
Light industrial units (600-1200 square feet) can be rented on annual license just outside central London (Zone 2-3, not miles into the suburbs) for somewhere between £750 +VAT and £1,000 + VAT per month depending on size. These figures are from Bizspace which currently hosts Rochdale. 5 minutes on the phone threw up units in places such as Brixton, Camberwell and New Addington. All are easily accessible by public transport. All have ample parking. They are just examples.
It seems to me that a business plan could easily be written, in the form of a private limited company (which I am happy to run as secretary)in which members/shareholders pay a monthly sub and in return have unlimited access(subject to availablity) to a unit rented by that body and guests (accompanied by a member) pay a per-usage fee. Members also own the club's assets, such as the mats, which would be fairly easy to sell in the event of wind up.
Would anyone care to get together to discuss?
Ed