Centre needs financial support to reopen
THE BOARD of Courtown Adventure and Leisure Centre has said that investment and financial assistance from the local authority or government subsidy is needed for it to be viable to re-open all aspects of the centre after the Covid-19 lockdown.
The centre, which has been closed since mid-March, would have been permitted to open with new safety guidelines in place on Monday last, June 29, but on Tuesday of last week, it released a statement online stating that the centre was ‘currently awaiting a feasibility assessment that will determine when it will become viable for the centre to reopen.’
‘The health, safety and welfare of staff, members and visitors remains the greatest priority and we are awaiting advice in terms of how social distancing and the resumption of regular activities can be managed in a an effective manner within a safe environment,’ the statement read.
‘Until such time as we have this clarity, the centre will remain closed until further notice.’
The board, made up of volunteers, told this newspaper that a feasibility assessment is being taken in consultation with the county council, financial advisors and legal professionals.
‘We have been exploring potential investment opportunities to ascertain the viability of reopening the centre. The board has been working tirelessly to explore ways to avoid the closure of the centre, but at this point in time the centre cannot re-open due to a lack of funding and the ongoing uncertainty concerning the level of funding. In the past, the centre was co-funded by Wexford County Council, which we appreciate, however, as a result of the Covid-19 lockdown and restrictions, the certainty of funding is not clear. Without an injection of funds, the centre will not be able to meet its operational costs’.
A spokesperson said that after the impact of Covid-19, there is financial uncertainty for everyone.
‘This business provides an essential and much needed facility to the local community and the local schools and we believe that the centre has much to offer and has potential for longer term growth and sustainability. Notwithstanding this, the board are aware of the disappointment this will bring to its staff, loyal customers, members, the local community as well as the businesses with whom the centre has built great relationships over the years’.
A spokesperson for the board, said it is not known at this time what aspects of the centre will re-open, if it is financially viable to do so.
‘We are awaiting advice on feasibility of opening and financial viability, given the summer business has been severely affected’.
Regarding memberships and bookings taken, he said that refunds ‘will be processed when possible or alternative arrangements for membership maybe offered’.
He said that the possibility of deferring or cancelling membership may be an option. He also said that capacity would be reduced in line with Covid-19 public health guidelines, and new members could be taken on ‘in due course’.
When asked about staff welfare and staff returning to work, he said that this will depend on capacity and ‘level of business needs’.
The spokesperson said that the centre has suffered the ‘same difficulty’ as everyone else in the country with regard to Covid-19 and that financial assistance would be needed from the local authority, as well as government sources, to meet pool operation costs.
In a statement, Wexford County Council said that responsibility now lies with the board.
‘The pool has had difficulties for some time which have been exacerbated by the Covid crisis. It is not the council’s intention to take over the pool at the current time and we do not have the level of funding available to address the financial issues and cost of reopening.
‘The future of the pool rests in the hands of the board of Courtown Adventure and Leisure Centre; Wexford County Council is not represented on the board. In the event that the pool was to enter some form of administration, the council would be happy to work with whoever is appointed to look at how the pool could be reopened and made available to the public’.
Uncertainty over the future of the centre is particularly felt by staff members, who say they were unaware of any developments before the notice was released last week.
One staff member, who wishes to remain anonymous, said that staff weren’t told why the facility remained closed and that they were they very worried, with very few updates and no idea what will happen.
‘We’re worried. We need to know what happens next because we all have bills to pay, children going back to school etc. We need some answers’.
Local sports clubs and activity groups are also concerned.
Roisin Duncan of Special Olympics Club Gorey Area said the closure of the centre would be devastating for members.
‘Going swimming is a major part in some of their lives and it’s very beneficial to all of our athletes in every aspect of their health.
‘There has been absolutely no communication with any groups like ourselves,’ she said.
‘Courtown Adventure and Leisure Centre is the most suitable place for us to train as it has multiple changing rooms, a lot of our clients would have carers with them. If it did close, we would have to try and find somewhere else but I’m not sure that other swimming venues in the area would be suitable. We have 2530 swimmers and we need this to re-open. We’d be devastated if it doesn’t’.
Karen Loughran of Courtown Swim Club said that the club’s 100 or more swimmers await clarity.
‘We are really looking forward to getting back swimmer whenever it’s possible. We were struck by the news that it hasn’t re-opened but we are understanding about the feasibility study,’ she said.
Former staff member and local Fianna Fáil Councillor Andrew Bolger criticised the lack of communication with all parties.
‘Nobody seems to know what’s going on. The whole thing at the moment is tourism for north Wexford and ‘stay-cations’, and it’d be a seriously bad message to send out if the pool was to close. It’s also a very accessible pool, being wheelchair-friendly so we need it open but I’m very worried that it will be closed.
‘Staff are frustrated, they’ve families and they have to provide and as well you’ve younger people who work there to pay for college. When I was working there while studying, we received a grant to put in new gym equipment so that’s not even half a year old. I’m asking for the board to provide clarity to staff members first and foremost and to communicate that then to the public and members, because this is not good enough from the board in my opinion. If the Centre was to be left as an empty vessel, it could lead to anti-social behaviour. Having it open causes less problems than it being closed’.
Chairperson of Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District Joe Sullivan said that councillors had a responsibility to make sure the centre is operational.
‘This is of huge concern locally, and while Wexford County Council has supported it in the past, it’s a private company as such. But saying that, the priority has to be staff and customers and where they stand.
‘Until the current board decide what they wish to do, whether to continue trading or close down, it’s very difficult for a third party to become involved and pick up the slack. It’s an excellent amenity and has to be maintained.’
Meanwhile, in the last seven days, another local gym has offered a life-line to gym members at Courtown Adventure and Leisure Centre.
Shane Prendergast of Gorey’s Sprint Spinning and fitness studio offered to take customers in his outlet for free for two weeks as long as they could prove that they had been affect by this.
‘We got a very good response and a lot of feedback, we really just had the customers in mind who would want to keep up their classes as we run similar types of classes. The biggest unknown [about reopening] was whether people would be comfortable coming back but so far so good,’ he said. ‘We’ve put as many measures in place as we can, and we’ve taken out some equipment such as bikes and we’ve reduced area of congregation.’