Why are gyms at CCs private?

I visited community clubs (CCs) in Clementi, Bukit Timah and Marine Parade recently and found out that the gyms there are private and the rates they charge are higher than those run by ActiveSG.

Signs at these private gyms stop non-members from entering, and members are told not to take non-members in or action would be taken against them.

I had always thought that our community centres are meant to be places for the community to bond.

Why then are the gym memberships in these CCs so exclusive? Shouldn't they follow the model of ActiveSG gyms?

There is an ActiveSG gym near my home in Clementi but it is small and always crowded.

I am sure gyms like these, run by CCs with simple per-entry fees, will be enthusiastically welcomed by residents.

Is there a need to insert a middle man to run gyms in CCs? Ultimately, it is the community that pays the price when this is done.

Terence Lim

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 02, 2017, with the headline Why are gyms at CCs private?. Subscribe