THE fight has started to save England’s oldest working gymnasium from the bulldozer.

Only weeks after protests stopped road development at Leigh’s Marsh Playing Fields the Marsh Gym, based at the Railway Road campus of Wigan and Leigh College in Ulleswater Street could be facing the threat of demolition.

Both were gifts to the people of Leigh by its benefactors, the Marsh family.

Leigh Gymnastics Club coach Jill Orrell claims she has been given an ultimatum by the college, which is considering the future of the building, to find funding or face the gym being flattened.

Her plans to protect the gym are supported by Wigan Council leader Lord Peter Smith and Leigh MP and health minister Andy Burnham, whose children attend her club.

Mr Burnham said:” Lord Smith and I have written to the college stating that the Marsh Gymnasium must be protected and we have received back a positive response.”

Jill was handed the keys to the building, based in the college complex, in 2002 to use as a new HQ - 100 years to the day after William Edward Marsh presented it to the town, and her club now hopes to place the gym into the Marsh Trust.

Jill said: “I am sure we could attract funding to help restore this historic building to its former glory. Its history is fantastic. When it was built it was the best gym in the area with the highest standard of equipment. We would like to think it will be fully restored and its future protected.

“With the 2012 Olympics fast approaching, this is an ideal time for encouraging youths to abandon “street culture” get focused and divert energy into something positive and rewarding such as gymnastics.

“For the children lucky enough to already attend the Marsh Gymnasium, they deserve investment, not to become victims of paper-shuffling ignorance. The regular users of the gym, alongside the local community, will fight to keep it that way.”

Mr Burnham said: “It is a brilliant club and I am 100pc behind Jill’s plans to secure the future of the building as a part of Leigh’s history.”

A Wigan and Leigh College spokesman said: “Wigan and Leigh College is transferring evening classes from Railway Road to its sixth form at Leigh Sports Village.

“The College is also investing in new facilities at the Image Centre, Walmesley Road, Leigh, which includes a new library, IT centre and IT enabled flexible teaching space. Leigh Sixth Form will also benefit from state of the art IT facilities.

“These investments will ensure that we meet the needs of the changing curriculum and create a first class learning environment.

“In future, daytime courses are planned to be moved from Railway Road to other sites in both Leigh and Wigan.

Principal, Cath Hurst, said: “Our Railway Road site is not up to the high standard of our other buildings, and that is why we are now moving evening classes. A full withdrawal of the College from Railway Road is planned, but we will continue to invest in our educational facilities in Leigh to benefit the community.”

The College is committed to getting the best after-use for the Railway Road site and have appointed Property Consultants DTZ to look at various options. This will include consideration of the use of the gymnasium, which is a small part of the Railway Road building.

The College is aware that a proposal has been put forward to establish a new trust related to the Gym and the College is very interested in this development.