A petition has been launched in a campaign to reopen the YMCA restaurant in Wimbledon after it closed to the public.

Pensioner Leigh Hicks, 74, has attended Zumba and Pilates classes at the centre for the last ten years and regularly socialises in the restaurant. She has started the petition after being surprised at its closure to the public last month.

She said: “We were shocked to hear that the YMCA restaurant closed to the public at Easter and shocked that the public was given such short notice.

“I regularly attend classes and socialise with my classmates in the restaurant so we are deeply saddened that it has closed.

“It is sad that the thriving socialising of all the pensioners and other people who gather after their classes will be stopped.

“We as members are appalled that once a successful venue has been run down when it could so easily be brought back to life.”

Leigh claims that on Thursday before Good Friday the first notification went up to say the restaurant was closing which, she says was the first time some of the class teachers had even heard about it.

Leigh said: “One lady who I was told had been lunching there for 30 years wasn’t even told and a lot of people who attend classes and frequent the restaurant weren’t told by management.”

The restaurant will continue to serve food to hostel residents only but has now stopped serving to the public.

There are more than 50 classes a week at the YMCA including zumba to pilates and ballet to combat fit.

Leigh said: “We as members value the YMCA immensely and think it contributes enormously to the wellbeing of the area by encouraging exercise and mitigating loneliness and feel the restaurant’s closure will be a barrier to this.

“Government preaches exercise but this closure will affect all pensioners and housewives who socialise there after classes.

“They also advocate help against loneliness and the restaurant was amazing for that as everyone said it wasn’t possible to socialise during classes but perfect in the restaurant afterwards.”

A YMCA spokesperson said: “We can confirm that the restaurant at YMCA Wimbledon has ceased serving food to the general public. This is due to operational reasons and will remain closed for the foreseeable future.

“Breakfast and dinner is still served to hostel residents.”

The petition has so far collected 100 signatures.