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Kingston Students Demand: Support Our Sports
Submitted by Sam Corrigan on Fri, 13/11/2009 - 15:12
Kingston University students gathered in their hundreds yesterday to show their dissatisfaction at the University’s spending policy on sport.
The Support Our Sports campaign led a march of Kingston students through the town centre in an attempt to draw attention to the frustration felt by many KU students. The aim of the campaign is to convince the University to increase spending on sporting facilities.
“The University does nothing for us when we represent them so well.”
Rhiannon Hiscocks, Vice President Activities at KU Student’s Union (KUSU), believes that the march was a necessary measure to demonstrate how students felt.
She said: “We’ve sat in meetings for hours and hours and got nowhere. I don’t know what else will embarrass them into doing something.”
The campaign aims to highlight the necessity for improvement to University facilities. Organisers are dissatisfied with the fact that Kingston University:- 
- has no indoor sports facilities,
- has no transport service to outdoor sports facilities,
- does not highlight the health benefits of sports,
- still schedules lectures for Wednesday afternoons
- offers no recognition of student successes
- offers no encouragement for students.
The march included students from a plethora of University sporting clubs and Miss Hiscocks believes this is because: “There are too many barriers for playing sport at Kingston.” The wide range of clubs attending the march highlights the need for a change in University policy.
What the campaign wants is for Kingston University to:-
- build an indoor sports facility suitable for all the sports clubs and students
- provide a free University bus service to go to Tolworth sports grounds on Wednesday afternoons
- actually keep Wednesday afternoons free for sports for all students.
- have the sports accomplishments and benefits widely published around the University.
In response to the march, a University spokesperson said: ““The University recognises the strong feelings among students, especially those involved in sports clubs, about keeping Wednesday afternoons free.”
In spite of this recognition, however, the University has made no promises to implement it.
When asked about the lack of indoor sporting facilities, the University was quick to draw attention to the new development being built at Tolworth Court and insisted that the University are trying to improve indoor facilities.
It commented: “The University will continue to work with the council, through the local development framework, to try and identify potential sites for sports facilities, in particular a sports hall.”
Miss Hiscocks, however, was quick to discredit the University’s response: “It is a complete cut and paste job from their website.”
She also highlighted the fact that the plans to develop Tolworth Court have been in the offing for 15 years now and questioned how long further investment would take.
During the march, one of Kingston’s sporting captains added: “The University does nothing for us when we represent them so well.” When asked about what she thought the march would achieve she replied: “It took 15 years for the new pavilion so I’m not sure of the immediate effect, but hopefully it’ll open their eyes.”
The campaign continues and Miss Hiscocks is hopeful students will "keep it going so it doesn’t get ignored.”
Comments
Well done to everyone who came out to support this cause. Sports are so important in encouraging physical fitness as well as teaching commitment, leadership, hardwork etc.
It seems the support for sports at Kingston is very low on the Uni's priorities and this is a massive shame. If institutions properly back sport they will always find plenty of willing participants.
I want to know what the level of investment in sport is compared to other areas at the Uni, i suspect it gets a much lower precentage of the budget that most other Uni's. If this is the case why does KU not see sport as important?
I hope everyone involved in the march and those who support it keep asking these difficult questions? Lets make a difference for future students!
The River Online did not approach the Press Office for a University response on these issues but the Press Office did, in any case, send the editor a statement including University responses to all the questions raised by the Students' Union with regards to sports facilities.
Unfortunately, with the exception of part of a line (which was published within an article on StaffSpace, not on the website) The River Online chose not to include any University response to this article.
I'm pasting the University responses below.
The University has no indoor sports facilities:
“Kingston University’s students have access to a fitness centre that underwent a £500,000 investment in 2006/2007 improving the building and state- of- the-art equipment. The 65-station centre offers two floors of facilities including the latest cardio-vascular equipment. Rowing machines, treadmills, steppers, bikes, a brand new ski machine, a dance studio and free weights are available to students throughout the year. The centre offers great value for money to students, approximately a third of the cost of a gym and including access to a full programme of health and wellbeing classes from yoga to aerobics, Bollywood dancing and ballet.
“The University is improving its sports facilities wherever it can and the Tolworth Sports Ground is currently undergoing a £5 million redevelopment (due to be completed in February 2010) that will see the Pavilion enlarged to three times its current size with better disabled access, changing rooms and social space. The site includes 14 full-size football pitches, two rugby pitches, three tennis courts and a cricket area.
“As is the case for many town and city-based universities, there is a shortage of suitable land in the Kingston area on which to build facilities. The University will continue to work with the Council, through the local development framework, to try and identify potential sites for sports facilities, in particular a sports hall.”
The University has no transport to outdoor sports facilities:
“The University shares its students’ sporting ambitions and has been working with the Students’ Union to resolve the issue of transport to the University’s sports facilities and a new bus service to take students to the Tolworth Sports Ground is due to commence shortly.”
The University does not highlight the health benefits of sports:
“From the moment students arrive at Kingston they are encouraged to lead a healthy and active student life. The Sports and Recreation team attend Halls Welcome events and Freshers’ Fayre to introduce students to the many sporting opportunities available. Information campaigns run throughout the year, advertised on the student intranet, StudentSpace, and around campuses, with special offers and events to encourage wider participation.
“The annual Health Week runs in February and this year’s event saw more than 300 students taking advantage of free health advice as well as taking part in special events such as a netball tournament and dance classes. Working with the Students’ Union, students could also try taster sessions from some of the University’s many sports clubs including Taekwondo and football.”
The University still schedules lectures for Wednesday afternoons:
“The University recognises the strong feelings among students, especially those involved in sports clubs, about keeping Wednesday afternoons free. Our aim is for no classes or lectures to be scheduled at that time and there has been a reduction in the number of rooms booked for teaching on Wednesdays. We are unable to introduce a blanket ban on Wednesday afternoons, however. This is because of the ongoing high demand for University teaching space, and because the current building works – designed to enhance the students’ learning experience – may, in the short-term, necessitate some timetabling of classes on Wednesday afternoons.”
The University offers no recognition of student successes/offers no encouragement:
“The Sports Performance Programme at Kingston University was set up to specifically recognise and support the University’s dedicated and talented sports students. Applications to become a part of the programme have risen every year and the 2009/10 academic year has already welcomed a host of talented students in such diverse fields as boxing, trampolining, athletics and rugby union.
“Students’ success is widely recognised both across the University and in the media with several students receiving local, national and specialist press coverage including Gail Emms (Olympic badminton player, currently the lead story on the University website www.kingston.ac.uk ), Tenesha Williams (British Boxing champion, covered in the sports section of The Comet) and Leonora Kennedy (Gold medallist in the World U23 Rowing Championships Surrey Comet Leonora Kennedy.”
“Gail Emms is due to come and speak to students at the end of November as part of the University’s Sports Performance Programme workshops. Previous speakers have included Olympic swimmer Karen Pickering and Olympic rower Ian Wynne.”
“Additional funding has already been secured for the University to offer the next generation of Olympic hopefuls the chance to train and become a part of London’s 2012 team.”