£197,000 grant funding boost for district’s leisure centres
Tandridge District Council has been awarded £197,000 from the government’s Swimming Pool Support Fund to help keep local swimming pool and leisure centres open in response to increased operating costs.
The Council will work with Freedom Leisure, which operates de Stafford Sports Centre in Caterham and Tandridge Leisure Centre in Oxted, to ensure the centres remain open and continue to provide essential swimming and leisure activities.
Swimming is a valuable life skill for people of all ages, important for safety, as well as physical and mental health and wellbeing.
Chair of the Community Services Committee, Councillor Jackie Wren, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this grant. We know how important these centres are for residents to help them stay fit and healthy, as well as support their mental wellbeing.
It has been a very challenging time for leisure centres due to increased operating costs. This grant will help towards maintenance costs, heating and pool chemicals, so these centres can continue to provide a valuable service to residents.”
Freedom Leisure Area Manager, Brian Lamplough, said: “We are pleased Tandridge District Council has been successful in securing government funding via the Swimming Pool Support Fund and we look forward to working with the Council to support the swimming facilities in Tandridge going forward.
As a result of the energy crisis, we as an organisation have seen our energy bills more than double and although this additional funding will help it remains a challenge to maintain swimming pools across the UK and we would encourage as many residents as possible to continue to use and support their local community swimming pools.”