Ashbourne News Telegraph

Swimming club’s plea over raised hire costs at centre

- SWIMMING

ASHBOURNE Swimming Club say a 12.5% increase in hiring facilities at the town’s leisure centre “has the potential to cripple our club.”

Head coach Ian Duckmanton has written to five local councillor­s and Derbyshire Dales MP Sarah Dines to highlight the problem and says the club will have to dip into their savings to stay afloat until the spring, when decisions will be made on the next step.

They have already had to increase fees to members and expect to have to do so again, having also estimated they have lost 25 members while Covid concerns stopped their activities over an 18-month period from March 2020.

In his letter to the MP and councillor­s, shared with the Ashbourne News Telegraph, Duckmanton writes: “I feel that you should all be aware of the additional challenges and pressures that are being placed on Ashbourne Swimming Club from the start of 2022 by our host leisure provider, Freedom Leisure (Wealden Leisure Ltd).

“We are being hit with a 12.5% increase in hire costs of using the leisure centre in 2022 which has the potential to cripple our club.

“Swimming is not the cheapest of sports to take part in due to facility hire costs but these additional costs that are being imposed on us may result in more young people not being able to access swimming as part of our club.

“It may even result in a number of our current members stopping participat­ion in a sport they enjoy and love.

“Since March 2020, mainly due to Covid/increased financial pressures, we have lost circa 25 members, which has resulted in having to increase our fees to our current members to meet costs.

“This has not been ideal and something we have done reluctantl­y. We also had a pool hire fee rise from Freedom Leisure in January 2021.

“(Chairman) Vicky Scotcher and the rest of the committee have done an amazing job in navigating the club’s way through the pandemic and continue to do so as Covid ebbs and flows.

“This is another hurdle for us to negotiate and we do not want this to ‘sink’ our club; but this is the sad demise we may face.

“Raising an additional £2,500+ is essentiall­y what we have to do. This is assuming nobody leaves the club in the immediate term.

“Any monies we have manage to save over the last few years will be used to meet income shortfall in the first quarter of 2022.

“This money had been earmarked to invest in equipment for our swimmers to use such as lane ropes – the public and other clubs also benefit from these.

“Your support, advice, negotiatin­g skills and bright ideas are very much welcome, as would any business sponsorshi­p leads or funding avenues we may be able to pursue would be greatly appreciate­d.

“I would welcome the opportunit­y to discuss this situation further with you in order to establish a productive future for our club, which has served Ashbourne and surroundin­g areas since the early 1970s.”

In a letter to members, Vicky Scotcher says the club are reaching a point at which they are no longer financiall­y viable.

She hopes they will be able to counter this by finding more sponsorshi­p and increasing membership, while members have been asked to “spread the word” in any way that they can.

 ?? ?? Ashbourne Swimming Club head coach Ian Duckmanton.
Ashbourne Swimming Club head coach Ian Duckmanton.

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