Band 9: Your local council is considering closing a sports and leisure centre that it runs, in order to save money. Write a letter to the local council. In your letter • Give details of how you and your friends or family use the centre. • Explain why the sports and leisure centre is important for the local community. • Describe the possible effects on local people if the center closes.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing with regard to the proposed closure of the town’s sports and leisure centre.

First, I would like to stress how important the centre is for my own family. My wife and I both use the gym on a daily basis, and our two children attend weekly gymnastics and football clubs, which they enjoy immensely.

I also believe that the leisure centre is an integral part of the local community. It is where people go to do exercise, play sports, take part in group activities, and to socialize and make friends. It really is a social hub in the town

If you do close the sports and leisure centre, the local residents will lose a treasured facility. As there are no other sports centres within a reasonable distance, the closure would have a detrimental effect on health and quality of life in the area.

I hope that you will take these concerns into consideration before making a decision.

Yours faithfully,

Paul Jones