Councils allocated £100m to support leisure centres

A total of £100m has now been allocated to 266 local authorities across England, to support leisure centres and gyms, according to government figures.

The National Leisure Recovery Fund, which opened in December, was established to provide a solid funding platform for the leisure sector to successfully reopen.

It has been funded by the government and managed by Sport England.

The fund was launched after district councils warned leisure centres could be forced to close their doors for good, unless the government provided extra support.

Leisure centres and gyms will be permitted to re-open their doors to the public no earlier than 12 April for individual socially distanced use, according to current government guidelines.

‘We know that local authorities have faced significant financial pressure as a result of the pandemic so this £100m for leisure will be vital in helping them recover,’ said sports minister, Nigel Huddleston.

‘Communities across England rely on their local leisure centre or gym to help them keep fit and healthy and this funding will assist those public facilities to make ends meet.’

Sport England chief executive Tim Hollingsworth added: ‘Leisure facilities have a vital role to play in supporting the health of the nation and in particular in serving our more disadvantaged communities.

‘They have been hit especially hard over the past year, so this investment is crucial and will help thousands to reopen when it becomes possible to do so – supporting the recovery and helping people get back to the activity they have badly missed.’

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