Lockdown limbo ends for Angus Alive furloughed staff at cost of £500,000

The leisure trust responsible for Angus sports and culture facilities has finally received furlough payments for more than 400 staff.

Lifeguards, fitness instructors, librarians, museum staff and hundreds of other workers had been put on the UK Government scheme during lockdown but the arm’s length body of the local authority had not received a clear HMRC decision on payment.

They were paid in full for March, April and May through a combination of business support grant, Angus Council management fees and the charity’s funds.

The furlough move involved more than 80% of the total Angus Alive workforce and it has now been confirmed almost £300,000 was paid to the organisation for the period from mid-March to the end of April.

However, that figure relates to only around 45% of the full payroll costs for the period and the body – which saw a net income of more than £400k last year – has made up the balance from its own funds.

The council’s management fee was also paid early to protect the organisation’s cashflow.

Despite the government scheme assistance, the trust has said the pandemic has already battered its balance sheet to the projected figure of more than £500,000 by the end of this month.

Trust chief executive Kirsty Hunter warned councillors the pressures of competing with rivals such as smaller private gyms had already meant the body was operating in a “changed environment”.

She warned of the lengthy road to recovery, but said efforts are under way to bring people back to facilities as soon as possible.

“We are following very much the Scottish Government route map out of the crisis,” she said.

On the issue of Angus’s main theatre – the 500-seat Webster Memorial in Arbroath – she told scrutiny and audit committee members in a remote meeting: “What I can reassure you on is, in the meantime, we have been working hard to re-schedule shows with promoters.”