New venue not fit for purpose - martial arts club

Róisín Pitman runs defence classes for women and teaches Aikido

The owner of a Jersey martial arts club says she might have to stop offering self-defence lessons when she leaves Fort Regent.

All sports clubs are due to leave the fort by the end of 2025, with many being offered a place at Oakfield's new £8.4m facility.

Róisín Pitman runs defence classes for women and teaches Aikido - a type of martial arts. She said she had been offered a new base at the centre but it was "unsuitable and not fit for purpose".

However, the government said: "We are confident it will meet the needs of the martial arts community, provided there is a collective willingness to work together and share space, as many clubs have done previously."

'We're in limbo'

Ms Pitman: "We won't have a room under our control, we will have a room where we are training with five other clubs with limited time and space.

"The room will have to remain sterile in so much as we cannot decorate or put up things because other clubs are using it."

Ms Pitman said it also would not be able to build its kamiza shrine, which would be like "a church with no alter".

The former police officer has been teaching at Fort Regent for 45 years.

She said: "We're all volunteers, we don't do this for money... we're in limbo to the point where we haven't got a clue what's going to happen.

"We could go out of business, that's the truth of it."

Andrew Scate, chief officer for Infrastructure and Environment, said the department had been in "ongoing discussions with martial arts clubs for several years" as part of the transition.

He said: "We are investing in a new, purpose-built facility at Oakfield designed specifically for martial arts, gymnastics and other indoor sports.

"We are confident it will meet the needs of the martial arts community, provided there is a collective willingness to work together and share space, as many clubs have done previously."

Infrastructure also said it was working to address scheduling concerns and that a joint meeting with all martial arts clubs was planned for later this year.

Mr Scate added that clubs were free to explore private rental options if they felt Oakfield was not for them.