Swimmers prefer private revealed by once public leisure Centre
- Fahima Khatun
- Feb 29, 2016
- 2 min read
A Birmingham leisure Centre has seen a rise in swimmers since a private sector take over in October 2014.
Action Indoor Sports Centre
Birmingham had needed to take cuts and leisure Centre’s was one of them. According to Birmingham City Council Service Reviews, from 2013, the city has lower than the national average number of residents involved in sports clubs - 20% are members of sports clubs compared to 23.3% nationally.
Managing Director Duncan Norris of action Indoor Sports Centre revealed the reason being was the Centre, originally under the name of Green Leisure Centre, had become victim of Government cuts. This forced the council to sell. It went through the tendering process, which was won by Action indoor sports, due to their success with their Centre in Bristol.
The Centre is a Community Interest Company, which is a private sector but does have projects at the end of the year where they help the local community by raising funds for people to participate with sports events, some are free but some do cost.
Anish Patel General Manager for Action Indoor sports said, “We wanted a new site and Birmingham was the right place.” He added that the Centre went through a refurbishment of around £400,000.
Action Indoor Sports Centre went into the private sector, with the price of £20 Jim membership.
Since the take over there has been an increase of swimmers. Joel Abel who works there said, “The council took whoever came.”
Other Centre’s that follow Action Indoor sports reveal the reason why.
Karl Ehattacharyya, the owner of Willclare Sports Centre Birmingham, also a private sector, revealed the reason why. “We have cleaner more efficient Centre, we look after our customers and are more personalized to our customers’ needs.”
Comments