Members’ fees do not ‘pool’ together

SIR, – The drive to attract the additional 300 FitLife members in Moray, required to save both pools at Keith and Lossiemouth, has served to shine a spotlight on the council’s support of Moray Leisure Centre.

Why the reports that people have cancelled their FitLife membership at Moray Leisure Centre to join at a council-run facility?

Is it simply because separate databases are used to record membership numbers?

My understanding is that the 300 target is for additional members at council-run facilities only. It does not include new members at Moray Leisure Centre.

Why not? Because all revenue gained from FitLife members joining at Moray Leisure Centre is kept by Moray Leisure Centre.

Not surprisingly, this is not widely known nor is it made known to prospective members joining at Moray Leisure Centre.

Little wonder then that people joining the FitLife scheme there, in the belief they are helping save their local pools, are cancelling their membership when they are made aware of this fact and rejoining at council-run facilities.

The revenue from FitLife members at council-run facilities is held and allocated centrally.

Moray Leisure Centre’s survival was only achieved by the council agreeing in May 2018 to an additional £120,000 in funding, if required, over two years on top of the £698,000 annual support payment.

My perception, like many I have spoken to, is not that Moray Council is in competition with Moray Leisure Centre but rather that the council-run leisure facilities in Moray are fighting to be treated with parity.

The threat by Moray Council to close the pools only adds fuel to the fire that they are seen by many as Elgin-centric and that the rural areas in Moray are not being treated fairly.

The council does not have a bottomless pit of money. However, a wider consultation with local communities is required to investigate how the pools can be saved and made sustainable.

Keith Gray, Alexandra Road, Keith