Arran Campus remains closed as KA Leisure faces £2.8m black hole
KA Leisure, which runs all the sports facilities in North Ayrshire, including the Arran Campus, is facing a £2.8 million black hole.
That is the predicted loss of income for the current financial year as the closure of its facilities during the current coronavirus pandemic has presented many financial and operational challenges.
However, as other facilities begin opening up there is no word yet on the Arran Campus, including the outdoor astroturf pitch and gym.
A KA Leisure spokesman said: ‘We are still awaiting confirmation regarding operating within NAC school estate, as soon as we have information we will advise customers of the reopening schedule of these facilities.’
‘Over the past few months, we have been developing our own plans, detailing how services and programmes will restart and reopen in line with the government’s decisions with the overriding consideration being staff and customers safety and wellbeing.
‘The coronavirus pandemic has significantly impacted our service provision and our financial position. KA Leisure is a not-for-profit organisation and a registered Scottish Charity, we rely on customer income and a financial contribution from North Ayrshire Council to deliver our services and we utilise any surpluses generated from our day-to-day operations to reinvest in facilities and services.
‘Working in partnership during these uncertain times is more important than ever. We are grateful to North Ayrshire Council for their continued support and guidance during this time. To ensure we meet the needs and expectations of our North Ayrshire communities as best we can under these Covid-19 circumstances we will continue to engage with the council and other relevant partners to ensure we operate facilities and deliver services safely in accordance with published guidelines.
‘Although these are still incredibly difficult times, our teams across the organisation have continued, where possible, to support communities across North Ayrshire. Since lockdown began our expert fitness and wellbeing teams took early action to put the tools and platforms in place to enable our fitness offering to go online and continue to support our most vulnerable customers. While behind the scenes members of the team complete essential and critical functions to enable us to resume activities and reopen venues when it is safe to do so.
‘We hope you have been enjoying the variety of fitness classes available and have had the opportunity to join us on a virtual walk.’