March 2026 - Social Value – Scottish Roads Partnership ‘Good Neighbour’ Fund
26 March 2026
Bannan Fitness Club, Kirkwood, Coatbridge
On Thursday evening 26th March 2026, Scottish Roads Partnership’s (SRP) Operations Manager, Graham Drummond, visited Bannan Fitness Club in Kirkwood, Coatbridge, to meet Pat Bannan (gym owner) and some of his staff/instructors, prior to a fitness class taking place. SRP who operate and maintains the nearby M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvement Project, had, via their ‘Good Neighbour’ fund, donated £750 to the gym for the purchase of some new equipment.
The fitness group, in Cuparhead Avenue, Coatbridge has been run by Pat Bannan for over 17 years, having previously operated from the Janet Hamilton Centre in Langloan, Coatbridge. After the unexpected closure of this venue by the local authority, Bannan’s gym spent a few years operating from various venues around Coatbridge. But despite this upheaval, the Gym continued to flourish and caters for all age groups from new born babies through to senior citizens, including those with special physical and mental needs.
In 2024, Pat Bannan, along with others in the local community, helped acquire the ‘Old Monkland Library’ premises, after their gym’s future base, over the last 2 years, had been uncertain. The Bannan Fitness Group, a registered charity, requested help from SRP, who were delighted to provide some funding to the fitness centre for some new equipment.
Bannan Fitness Group is funded by its gym users and is a great space for keeping fit, socialising and meeting up with friends. The gym needs all the help it can get from local businesses and other groups able to provide the charity with some much needed sponsorship.
Graham Drummond states: ‘Scottish Roads Partnership are delighted to provide some funding to Bannan Fitness Group in Coatbridge. During my evening visit to their gym, I was so pleased to see the venue incredibly busy and upbeat, with various age groups taking part in different fitness activities. A boy’s football team were engaged in a fitness conditioning session, with older adults preparing for a boxercise class, with equipment for martial arts, including boxing bags, pads, gloves and free weights available for use. The fitness group clearly provides a great service for the health & wellbeing of residents in the local community and was very welcoming.’
Normally a maximum grant of £500 each is available from the SRP ‘Good Neighbour’ fund. Application forms for the funding can be requested by contacting their admin manager Louise Berkley at info@scotroadspartnership.co.uk or telephone 0800 042 0188.
Ends.