Just under 5 years ago, the alleged cash-strapped Tameside Council spent £1 million refurbishing the Longdendale Recreation Centre, which
was transformed into a state-of-the-art gymnastics centre, in order to provide
specialist coaching and development for people of all ages and abilities.
At the opening ceremony, the council leaders said: “The
Longdendale Gymnastics Centre; which is operated by Tameside Sports Trust, will
provide a centre of excellence for the sport in Tameside by helping realise the
potential of our young athletes in a modern, safe and welcoming environment”
Fast forward 4 years and we find that Tameside Council have
closed the Longdendale Recreation Centre and moved the Gymnastic club down the
road into the under-performing Ken Ward Centre, which is also operated by
Tameside Sports Trust. This, allegedly is in order to save the council coughing up
£140,000 in annual subsidies.
Despite countless letters and emails to the local
councillors and protests from residents, Tameside Council pressed ahead and
closed the profitable sports centre and sank even more money into the loss
making Ken Ward Centre.
Now this was a strange money-saving decision because in
order to accommodate the gymnastic absorption from what was the profitable
Longdendale Recreation Centre, Tameside Council had to spend £250,000 on the
loss making Ken Ward Centre in order to house and allow the continued
development of over 800 gymnasts from around the borough.
We are now told that Tameside Sports Trust - the not for
profit charity – (who have benefited from a 5-year Grant Agreement with the
Council.) who are contracted to operate Tameside Council’s leisure facilities, is to undergo a
makeover in which, apparently, it will be re-branded “Active Tameside”. The
re-brand will include updated activity programming, more refurbishments, new
uniforms, a new website, social media platforms and signage - all repackaged as
“Active Tameside”
Of course neither Tameside Council nor Tameside Sports Trust
in their press release were forthcoming on how much this unnecessary
‘re-branding’ exercise will cost, but providing new uniforms, a new website,
social media platforms and signage for Ashton Pools, The Copley Centre, Hyde
Leisure Pool, Medlock Leisure Centre, Denton Pools, Dukinfield Pool, Oxford
Park Community Sports Centre, Ken Ward Sports Centre, Etherow Bowling &
Activity Centre, Fairfield High School, St. Thomas More and the Tameside Cycle
Circuit will not be cheap!
Could this be the same council that continuously bleats on about cuts
to their funding and how they cannot maintain the community services that should be
sacrosanct?
Is this an example of how Tameside Council saves money?
This entire Tameside Sports Trust debacle is a prime example
of the consequences of decisions taken by people that have never run a business.
No matter how good the idea looks on paper, the real world
just doesn't work that way.
I take your point about people who have never run a business. But according to Companies House documents one of the Sports Trust directors is New Charter CEO Ian Munro.
ReplyDeletesmall world isn't it?
DeleteIt's even smaller, another director is Cllr John Taylor
DeleteThen I rest my case! ...No wonder it has had to subsidized and been the subject of outside Management Consultancies and Marketing experts in the past, to put it back on track towards a sound financial footing.
Delete