Swimmer’s Club director’s ‘campaign of misinformation’ leads to irrevocable breakdown in relationship with Community Trust

This statement is addressed to the members of the Weymouth Sea Swimmers Club and the local public as a whole in order to state the position of The Greenhill Community Trust and its version of recent events concerning the occupation of the facility at Greenhill Gardens previously occupied by the Swimmers Club. This statement is made as a result of the misleading information that is coming out of the Swimmers Club led by director Jason West.

On 11 February 2019 The Trust was granted a 30 year lease of the Play Gardens and facilities at Greenhill, which include the beach chalets, tennis courts, putting green and café by Weymouth and Portland Borough Council. The leased facilities also included the changing facility that was at the time being occupied under licence by the Swimmers Club. The said licence was originally granted by the Council for 6 months and expired on 31^st March 2019. Prior to grant of that licence the Swimmers Club had previously accepted renewed 6 month licences from 2016 on the same terms. The licence allowed the Swimmers Club to share occupation of the facility with Council during the daytime only for use as a changing facility.

Immediately following the grant of the lease by the Council to The Trust, The Trust offered a further 6 month licence to the Swimmers Club on identical terms, to commence on 1^st April 2019. The offer was repeatedly refused by Jason West on behalf of the Swimmers Club, who instead insisted upon a lease for a longer term, which The Trust was not willing to offer as could not ensure the availability of the facility for the future. The facility was originally authorised for use by the RNLI, however such authorisation was temporary and has long since elapsed. Following consultation with the local authority is has been established that there is no authorised use for the facility, which accordingly cannot be lawfully occupied.

Prior the expiry of the Swimmers Club’s licence The Trust repeatedly reminded the Swimmers Club that if it did not want to accept a new 6 month licence then the belongings of its members would need to be removed from the facility prior to the end of the licence period on 31^st March, as the facility would then be secured by The Trust. It is not clear if this was ever communicated to the members of the Swimmers Club, but the facility was not vacated before the licence came to an end. Accordingly The Trust secured the facility and repeatedly notified the Swimmers Club that the belongings of the members would be made available for collection by appointment. These requests were all ignored. The belongings of the members are currently being stored in one of the empty beach chalets and remain available for collection by appointment.

Since the Swimmers Club’s licence came to an end, the Swimmers Club have forced entry to the facility on a number of occasions. These attempts to occupy the facility are being treated as a trespass and any damage caused to The Trust’s locks is being treated as criminal damage and has been reported to the police. Any locks put on the door by the Swimmers Club have been and will continue to be removed by The Trust to ensure that it can continue to access and secure its facility.

Whilst The Trust was previously willing to offer a new 6 month licence to the Swimmers Club, the conduct of the Swimmers Club as instigated and perpetuated by director Jason West has resulted in an irrevocable breakdown in any relationship that previously existed. Such conduct has included a Facebook campaign to discredit The Trust including its individual Trustees and an attempt to have The Trust struck off the register of companies. The Trust has sympathy for the many members of the Swimmers Club that will suffer as a result, who The Trust believes have been consistently mislead by director Jason West as to the events that have taken place. The Trust hopes that this statement provides sufficient information for the members of the Swimmers Club to make a group decision to bring an end to the campaign being led by director Jason West, which appears more and more personally motivated. The Trust wishes the Swimmers Club all the best in securing suitable alternative premises.