By Dan Bowen
North Shields resident Dan Bowen wants to sing the praises of the YMCA – particularly the gymnasium…
For most people in their 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s, the mention of YMCA generally leads to marching on the spot, letter shapes being made with arms in the air, perhaps even the spontaneous growth of a handlebar moustache or the donning of a Native American tribal chief’s feathered head dress. If, however, you’re a resident of North Shields or Tynemouth, you’re just as likely to think of an organisation that adds massive value to our community.
Let me say from the outset: I don’t work for YMCA, I’m not a Christian or even a Young Man – but I’m one of many North Shields residents who thinks we really benefit from having the YMCA as a community hub. There’s a very-popular café that hosts numerous community events, a charity shop, a good day-care nursery and probably most-significantly, accommodation for those who have found themselves in severe difficulty. 55 young people were given supported housing in Sir James Knott House and over 14,000 safe nights were spent in North Shields YMCA accommodation in 2023-24. Many of these people have since been given further help and support to get employment and private accommodation by YMCA North Tyneside and I recommend a read of the inspiring stories about this on their website (www.ymcanorthtyneside.org/impact-24-supported-housing).
Fantastic community/charity work aside, the gym is absolutely excellent. We’re very lucky to have it in our midst. You may have wandered past it and heard enthusiastic instructors, over thumping EDM beats, entreating their acolytes on spinning bikes to give more of their sweat. You may have heard the pounding of running machines or the clanking of metal against metal through the open windows (thankfully polarised) on Church Way. This is the aural landscape of a good community gym. You can find the true breadth of the North Shields populace (perhaps not so much the enthusiastic drinkers) in the ground-floor entry area. The ladies and gents in their seventies and eighties doing mobility and gentle cardio and the entry-level enthusiasts working on isolation machines.
Venture down a short flight of stairs to your right and you’ll encounter the next level of gymnasium experience: the kettlebells, the assisted dips/chin ups machine, the cable station. Here you’ll tend to find a more specifically-focused crowd, lots of abs work and some impressive calisthenics. There are people in their fifties and sixties to be found walking on their hands and doing amazing bar work in here, people in their teens doing bench work because they have in their heads that they’re not yet ready for… THE DUNGEON DOWNSTAIRS!
The dungeon is no dungeon at all. It’s probably the most comprehensive, inclusive communal space I know in North Shields. There are people aged 12 to late 60s, working with heavy free weights and machines to focus mostly on muscle building and sports fitness. There is a wide range of cultural, ethnic, sociological and linguistic backgrounds down here, all with a friendly and supportive atmosphere. It has been great to see more and more women and girls feel confident enough to use this space in the last few years, which has helped improve the over-all community feeling.
The staff are great, you’re becoming more involved in your community and supporting a charity, as well as getting purely buff and that. See you there!
