LEISURE services operator Everyone Active has been accused of not letting a Wellington resident be active after banning her from the town’s sports centre gym.

Hairdresser Maria Miller, of Rowe Close, Rockwell Green, had her membership suspended after fainting during a gym class.

Mrs Miller, aged 56, whose lorry driver husband Andy died suddenly two years ago after a Covid vaccination, was a regular gym-goer for more than 20 years.

But on the anniversary of her husband’s death she felt stressful and passed out during a session, although she did not need any medical help.

Mrs Miller said a short time later she received an email from Everyone Active, which runs Wellington Sports Centre, saying her membership was suspended and she was not allowed to go back.

Despite agreeing a fitness plan with the company and producing a GP letter confirming there was nothing medically wrong with her, the firm did not relent.

Mrs Miller said: “It is a joke because they are not letting everyone be active. It is just crazy.

“I have been going there for 22 years and I have never had a problem with the management before.

“I used to go every day except weekends and now they have stopped me.

“When I passed out, it was a day when I told the instructor I was not feeling too good and he said do what I can, so I was doing the class and it was right at the end of the class when it happened.”

Mrs Miller said she had since also been told not to try to talk to staff about the issue because they were not allowed to discuss it.

She said she started to experience issues with Everyone Active about two years ago after a change of sports centre managerial staff and she considered some of the individual behaviour toward her amounted to a form of bullying.

Everyone Active contract manager Mark Washington told the Wellington Weekly: “We have a duty of care to our members and would like to stress that keeping them safe is our highest priority.

“If we feel there is a serious risk to a member’s health, we seek medical advice and take the necessary precautions to protect them, which may include temporarily freezing their membership.”

Mr Washington said the company was currently engaged in dialogue with Mrs Miller’s GP to agree whether it was safe for her to continue exercising.

However, he said alongside the health issue there were alleged to have been some instances of ‘inappropriate behaviour’ toward sports centre members and colleagues.

Mr Washington said: “We are conducting a separate investigation into this, and will determine the best course of action.”

On its website, Everyone Active said: “It is our mission to get everybody doing at least 30 minutes of activity five times a week.

“Whether you are into swimming, going to the gym, taking on a group exercise class, or enjoying activities with the whole family, there is something for everyone to enjoy.”