Members fear for money as leisure centres close

Two public leisure centres in Lincoln have closed after the charity that runs them ceased trading, a council has confirmed.

Active Nation announced the closure of the Yarborough and Birchwood leisure centres on Wednesday night, blaming "the ongoing utility crisis and the challenges it has created".

The City of Lincoln Council, which owns both buildings, described it as a "sad development" and said it was "assessing available options".

Some customers who paid for memberships in advance said they feared they would lose their money.

Active Nation said it held talks with the council about the closures, but an alternative operator had yet to be found.

In a statement, the registered charity said: "We regret to inform you that no alternative providers have been identified for transferring services, which means the centres will remain closed for the foreseeable future.

"We are deeply disappointed by this outcome."

Carla, an instructor, told BBC Radio Lincolnshire she had taken classes at the Yarborough Leisure Centre hours before the email about the closure was sent.

She said: "We didn't know anything about it. The place was buzzing and it was busy but then we got the news.

"The biggest thing is the staff and how are they going to pay their bills. Yarborough and Birchwood are communities. For some people it's a second home."

Gym members Mauva Jessel, Nina Hill and Elise Rothwell told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that they feared they might not get their money back.

Ms Hill said: "We paid £150 for annual memberships in February, but there's no receipt or anything like that to prove it. I expect we've lost all that money.

"There's a lot of retired people who use it to keep fit and socialise, it's going to be really sad for them."

Ms Jessel added: "Why weren't the public warned about this? It's disgusting."

The City of Lincoln Council said staff at both venues had worked hard to keep them running during "tough trading conditions".

"Their announcement will no doubt cause considerable concern to users of those two facilities, and of course to the staff employed in them," it added.

The authority advised people with pre-paid memberships of the centres to contact their bank or card provider, or the administrator once appointed.

The council told the BBC that the Lincoln 10K, which is due to take place on Sunday and starts from Yarborough leisure centre, would go ahead as planned.

Active Nation, a charity based in Warwickshire, also operated facilities in Southampton and Aldershot.

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