Adur leisure facilities set for cash boost
The money has come from Sport England
Leisure facilities in Adur are set to get a £100,000 cash boost, thanks for extra funding from Sport England.
Lancing Manor Leisure Centre, Southwick Leisure and Wadurs swimming pool in Shoreham, run by South Downs Leisure Trust (SDLT) were all forced to close their doors last year, only reopening in May this year.
However they will now all receive a share of a £104,000 windfall from Sport England.
Adur District Counci’s Executive Member for the Environment, Cllr Emma Evans, said, “South Downs Leisure has provided first-class leisure facilities for many years now and took over the running of our leisure centres in Adur at the start of the year, but we are very mindful of the considerable financial impact of the pandemic on leisure services in the region.
“We feel it is wholly appropriate to use the Sport England grant funding to support SDLT now it has reopened Adur’s leisure facilities. This is effectively deferred expenditure from the previous financial year due to the extended closure of the venues, so the funding has been retained.
“If there is one thing the pandemic has shown us is just how important it is to stay active for both our physical and mental wellbeing and this extra funding will ensure Adur can benefit from top-class facilities.
“Over the past five months SDLT has prioritised re-opening the centres and making sure that they are welcoming and clean, while people using the facilities and attending various classes has steadily grown since reopening.”
Chief Executive of SDL, Duncan Anderson, added: “Like many businesses, the leisure industry was hit very badly by lockdowns as we simply were unable to open.
“But now restrictions have been lifted we have seen people flocking back to our leisure centres.
“This funding will ensure we can continue to give people in the region first-class facilities, while playing a vital role in improving physical and mental wellbeing.”