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Grant Acourt
Grant Acourt

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Swimmer banned from pool - for being a man!

Eve Dugdale
27/ 2/2008

A SWIMMER who lost four stone after starting an aqua fit class has been now banned from the sessions — because he’s a man!

Grant Acourt, 34, was a regular attender of the weekly exercise session at Ashton Baths, along with his sisters.

But after going away on holiday, he arrived at the pool as usual to be told he could no longer join the group.

Grant, of Pelham Court, Ashton said: "At no point in the past have any of the ladies ever objected to me being there and I have become quite friendly with the group.

"I am appalled to find out that due to small minority I am barred from attending.

"I feel very disappointed and angry that I — and not they — have been excluded from the session on the basis of my gender when I have been attending for eight months and found it of huge benefit to my weight loss programme."

Grant, who has gone from 21 stone to 17 stone, added: "I have always respected the other ladies and exited the pool well before the ladies only swimming session straight afterwards.

"If these women object so strongly to my presence they should attend the ladies only classes that are available to them as there are no men only classes available for me."

He has sought legal advice about the matter and has written a letter of complaint to Tameside Sports Trust.

A trust spokeswoman said Mr Acourt had only been originally let in as an exception.

"The session has always been a ladies only session, and is in fact a ladies only afternoon at the centre," she said.

"Some months ago when Mr Acourt requested to attend the session, the centre consulted with the ladies who were fine for him to attend at the stage.

"A number of ladies have now expressed that the session revert to ladies only again."

She said there there was a mixed aqua fit session on Wednesday evening Mr Acourt could attend.


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Most recent 2 of 3 user comments

   I would like to states to Mr Acourt and the readers that I understand that he is angered because a public service has been refused to him. But the accusation that his privilege was taken away due to a small minority of women is completely uncalled for as he does not know the facts. Ashton Baths had a refurbishment and the blinds were removed from the gallery and the main windows which prevented a large number of local women being able to attend any swimming sessions; some due to culture, some due to personal privacy. And those who could attend had another barrier in the way such as a Male had been permitted to take part in ladies only session. So many women had no alternative options unlike Mr Acourt still had the Wednesday evening as his an alternative. Dozens of women are now able access a service that could not be accessed due to barriers that are not obvious to all. If only Mr Acourt could understand how much of a positive change it has made to SO many women and their children in the local community since being given back what was rightfully theirs.
T Mohammed, Ashton Under Lyne
4/03/2008 at 21:18
   And they call men sexist
Connor Barrett
4/03/2008 at 14:08
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