{"id":104993,"date":"2025-07-30T14:15:13","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T14:15:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/104993\/"},"modified":"2025-07-30T14:15:13","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T14:15:13","slug":"lib-dem-council-offers-asylum-seekers-free-gym-and-swimming-sessions-and-exercise-classes-that-cost-working-residents-52-50-a-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/104993\/","title":{"rendered":"Lib Dem council offers asylum seekers free gym and swimming sessions and exercise classes that cost working residents \u00a352.50 a month"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul class=\"mol-bullets-with-font\">\n<li class=\"class\"><strong>Is YOUR local council offering subsidised access to migrants? Email jose.ramos@mailonline.co.uk<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"author-section byline-plain\">By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/profile-3381\/jose-ramos.html\" class=\"author\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">JOSE RAMOS<\/a> <\/p>\n<p class=\"byline-section\"> Published:  04:20 EDT, 30 July 2025   |  Updated:  06:50 EDT, 30 July 2025   <\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">A<a style=\"font-weight: bold;\" target=\"_self\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/liberal-democrats\/index.html\" id=\"mol-89bc3bb0-6d19-11f0-8e28-9b76212304a5\" class=\"class\" rel=\"noopener\"> Liberal Democrat<\/a>-run council is offering asylum seekers free gym and swimming sessions as well as exercise classes which residents have to pay \u00a352.50-a-month for.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Richmond Council is offering &#8216;sanctuary seekers&#8217; free access to indoor swimming, group exercise classes and gym sessions at five fitness centres in the <a style=\"font-weight: bold;\" target=\"_self\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/london\/index.html\" id=\"mol-6807c260-6d22-11f0-8bc2-c79fe22dc060\" class=\"class\" rel=\"noopener\">London<\/a> borough.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Meanwhile, working residents must fork out \u00a352.50-a-month if they want to access these services, while those on benefits and disability allowance pay \u00a330 per month.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">According to the council&#8217;s website, the Richmond Card also offers a range of local discounts, including deals on pilates classes, restaurant meals, and language lessons in French and Spanish.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Other offers include 25 per cent off at a children&#8217;s clothing store in Twickenham and half-price nutrition consultations at a local health centre.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Letters from the <a style=\"font-weight: bold;\" target=\"_self\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/the-home-office\/index.html\" id=\"mol-43362760-6d27-11f0-b07b-8bd4cd06eae7\" rel=\"noopener\">Home Office<\/a> and asylum applications can be used as proof of eligibility, as reported by <a style=\"font-weight: bold;\" class=\"class\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/order-order.com\/2025\/07\/28\/richmond-council-offering-free-swimming-and-gym-lessons-only-to-asylum-seekers\/\">Guido Fawkes<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Richmond is not the only borough offering subsidised access to leisure facilities for migrants.<\/p>\n<p>   <img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-a971d96a2e8ae35a\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/100757559-14953633-image-a-3_1753861429859.jpg\" height=\"370\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Teddington Sports Centre in Richmond in southeast London which is covered under the scheme\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Teddington Sports Centre in Richmond in southeast London which is covered under the scheme<\/p>\n<p>   <img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-617603b155c3a3b4\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/100757541-14953633-image-a-2_1753861369725.jpg\" height=\"663\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Migrants being escorted into Dover after crossing the channel on a boat\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Migrants being escorted into Dover after crossing the channel on a boat<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Kingston Council provides half-price access to badminton, squash, tennis, and group fitness classes under its &#8216;Active Kingston&#8217; scheme, which is open to asylum seekers, care workers, people on benefits, and pensioners.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">A spokesman for Richmond council told <a style=\"font-weight: bold;\" class=\"class\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/article\/london-councils-give-asylum-seekers-free-gym-sessions-z6rwc9qv2\">The Times<\/a> it is committed to creating &#8216;supportive and inclusive environments for sanctuary seekers, offering a range of services to enable their integration into local communities&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">It comes as ministers are drawing up plans to prevent migrants from turning down alternative housing without a valid reason.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">A \u2018Failure to Travel\u2019 policy will mean that illegal migrants moved from hotels to other \u2018suitable\u2019 accommodation must accept the offer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Those who refuse could lose their housing and support, according to the Home Office.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">It is understood that roughly 100 asylum seekers are currently refusing relocation each week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Under the previous Conservative government, migrants who declined to board the Bibby Stockholm barge were warned they could lose access to housing and benefits.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The Daily Mail has approached Richmond Council for comment.<\/p>\n<p>   <img decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-e2518fb8c5c63308\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/100757533-14953633-image-a-1_1753865806465.jpg\" height=\"411\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Anti-migrant protesters hold up signs outside an asylums seeker hotel in Epping\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Anti-migrant protesters hold up signs outside an asylums seeker hotel in Epping<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">More than 20,000 small boat migrants have arrived in Britain since the start of the year, highlighting concerns over Labour\u2019s handling of border control.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">In previous years, including 2022, which ended with a record 45,700 arrivals, the 20,000 mark was not reached until mid to late August.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Since the start of the Channel crisis in 2018, more than 170,000 migrants have reached Britain by small boat &#8211; but only about four per cent have been removed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">It comes amid a wave of anti-migrant protests sweeping across the country after demonstrations first flared up outside The Bell Hotel, in Epping, Essex, following an Ethiopian asylum seeker being charged with sexually assaulting a schoolgirl.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">This has sparked fears that Britain could face another summer of disorder after last year&#8217;s Southport murders.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"linkButtonRowItem\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/the-home-office\/index.html?ico=article_topics_module\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Home Office<\/a><a class=\"linkButtonRowItem\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/new-york-times\/index.html?ico=article_topics_module\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New York Times<\/a><\/p>\n<p>                    Share or comment on this article:<br \/>\n                        Lib Dem council offers asylum seekers free gym and swimming sessions and exercise classes that cost working residents \u00a352.50 a month<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Is YOUR local council offering subsidised access to migrants? Email jose.ramos@mailonline.co.uk By JOSE RAMOS Published: 04:20 EDT, 30&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":104994,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[211,1198,210,6985,50,67586,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-104993","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-dailymail","9":"tag-fitness","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-new-york-times","12":"tag-news","13":"tag-the-home-office","14":"tag-united-states","15":"tag-unitedstates","16":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114942609121983602","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104993","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104993"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104993\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/104994"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}