This is a simple email template for constituents of Plymouth Sutton and Devonport and Plymouth Moor View to copy and paste into your email client.
Replace the {{MP NAME HERE}} text with the name of your MP and the fields at the bottom with your details, then email it to:
luke.pollard.mp@parliament.uk if you're in Plymouth Sutton and Devonport,
or
Subject: Please help protect Plymouth's only public roped climbing wall for our young people
Dear {{MP NAME HERE}},
I am writing as a constituent because I am deeply concerned about the potential closure of the climbing wall at the Plymouth Life Centre.
This is not just another leisure facility. It is one of the few places in Plymouth where local young people can discover climbing, build confidence, stay active, and feel part of something positive. Climbing has grown in popularity in recent years, including through the Olympics, and this wall has helped many young climbers take their first steps into the sport. It has hosted national and regional competitions and has been an important training ground for aspiring competition climbers, including some who have gone on to represent Great Britain internationally.
There is also an active and vibrant youth squad using the wall, made up of dedicated young climbers many of whom already show excellent potential. The wall is widely used by groups such as university climbing clubs and the South Devon Mountaineering Club, as well as other local community and youth organisations. These groups rely on it as a key training and social venue.
Rather than closing the facility, investment in the climbing wall would be the best way to secure its future. This could include removing outdated and no-longer-used areas and redirecting resources into modern auto-belays, better safety systems, and additional staff to support sessions for young people and beginners.
I understand the reason for the proposed closure is to turn the space into a soft play area. There are already plenty of soft play options in the city, but this is Plymouth's only public roped climbing wall serving a population of over 272,000 people. The only other commercial climbing facility in the city is a bouldering venue, which does not offer the same training or competition-style facilities for young people learning to climb on ropes.
If this wall is lost, young people will lose access to a unique sport, a development pathway, and a place where talent can grow. For many local families, this wall is more than a sports venue. It is somewhere that gives children and teenagers confidence, purpose, friendship, and a healthy outlet for their energy.
I would be grateful if you could:
- Raise this issue urgently with the relevant decision-makers.
- Ask whether every alternative to closure has been properly considered.
- Support efforts to keep Plymouth's public roped climbing wall open for young people and the wider community.
- Raise this issue urgently with the relevant decision-makers.
- Ask whether every alternative to closure has been properly considered.
- Support efforts to keep Plymouth's public roped climbing wall open for young people and the wider community.
Yours sincerely,
{{NAME}}
{{ADDRESS}}
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