Weight lifted as Bethnal Green’s iron-pumping club wins stay of execution
A weightlifting club that was destined to be evicted on Friday (31 January 2025) has been allowed to stay at its Turin Street home for a further three more months after Tower Hamlets Council extended the notice period.
Bethnal Green Weightlifting Club (BGWLC) was handed a Section 25 eviction notice by the council in July 2024, ordering it to leave the premises by the end of January.
In December of last year, the club fought to stop the eviction and gathered signatures as part of a petition to save the venue from closure.
A spokesperson for the council told the Citizen it has extended the notice until 30 April 2025 to allow more time for discussions and for alternative arrangements to be made.
Head coach Martin Bass said the extension would allow the club to engage in talks with the council.
However, he remains concerned about the future.
Mr Bass claims he was told that the site had been earmarked for a ‘Residents’ Hub’ – though according to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted by the club, the council has no immediate plans for the premises.
Mr Bass added: “We still do not understand why the council would wish to destroy a 100-year-old institution and replace it with a Residents’ Hub for which no plans have been seen.”
The club, which is a non-profit organisation, is responsible for producing world champions who have represented Great Britain at the Paralympic Games and the Commonwealth Championships.
Mr Bass has traced the club back to 1926, though he believes it could have formed earlier than this. It was once based on Old Bethnal Green Road, before moving to its current home on Turin Street in 1948.
When the Citizen visited the venue a few weeks ago, members said they were heartbroken when they heard about the eviction as the club has been a “lifeline” for many.
Taras Lyntovski and his wife, Yana Lyntovska, joined the club shortly after fleeing Ukraine in 2022 following Russia’s invasion. Mrs Lyntovska is one of the top powerlifters in Great Britain, while the couple’s son, aged seven, is also a member of the club.
Mr Lyntovski praised the club for making him and his family feel at home straight away.
He added: “This gym helped us very quickly, it wasn’t easy for us because we didn’t expect to leave our country and the guys here helped us very, very quickly because we have the same vision, they helped us to feel at home.
“I don’t know any gym in this country who has produced so many very good athletes – at national and international levels.”
Barnie Skinner first joined the club three years ago and would travel into London to train during the week and on the weekends.
Mr Skinner, who is partially sighted, says he eventually decided to move to East London from Kent so he could access the gym more often.
He said: “I definitely view [the club] as much more of a community and a place to come and train and see friends. Everyone here knows everyone.
“It’s a place where you can always come, you can either put your headphones in and train or you can come and chat to people.”
Ali Jawad, another member, is a British Paralympian and won a silver medal for powerlifting during the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Mr Jawad has represented Great Britain at three other Paralympic Games, including Beijing, London and Tokyo, and is thinking of making a comeback in 2028 in Los Angeles.
He said: “I think if Tower Hamlets Council decide to completely shut this place down, they’re potentially denying a Paralympian another shot at the games. Do they really want to do that to the national team?
“If this place goes, I can’t train. There’s nothing anywhere like this. I’m going to have to go to a commercial gym and they don’t have the facilities I need.”
A BGWLC spokesperson said: “We are pleased that the council has extended the notice by three months, which will make up some of the time lost before our our recent meeting.
“Our primary goal is still to secure an appropriate, permanent lease for the club in our building, which will allow us to continue serving the borough and beyond.
“We look forward to more discussions with the council on the value of the club and how we can support their aims for local residents.”
A Tower Hamlets Council spokesperson said: “We’ve met with representatives of the weightlifting club and agreed to extend the date of the notice to 30 April to provide more time for alternative arrangements to be discussed and put in place.
“We recognise the importance of the club to the community and the borough and will continue to engage with them. Senior officers will visit the site to discuss and assess needs and we remain hopeful that a positive resolution can be agreed.”