Community raises £46k to save rural leisure centre

3 days ago

Rob TriggShropshire political reporter

Sian Powell said she was exhausted after months of fundraising but overwhelmed by the community's effort to save the centre

BBC A blonde-haired woman, wearing a blue and black blouse, standing in a gym reception area with a wooden desk and door in the background — Sian Powell said she was exhausted after months of fundraising but overwhelmed by the community's effort to save the centre

An under-threat leisure centre will remain open until at least August 2027 after community fundraising efforts.

Cleobury Mortimer's leisure centre was at risk of closure last year after Shropshire Council withdrew an annual grant worth £23,500.

The community began fundraising in the autumn and has now secured enough money to keep it fully operational beyond March.

Sian Powell, from the Friends of Cleobury Sports Centre, said support from residents, business and the town council had been "really overwhelming".

The group has so far raised about £46,000 but is £15,000 short of its target.

Cleobury Mortimer Town Council has agreed to underwrite the shortfall should the community not meet it.

"It's an amazing achievement and a huge amount of money," said Powell, who launched a petition to save the leisure centre in September.

"We really thought the centre was going to close and the reality of that for us as a small rural community was just terrible.

"It's really good to know that the centre will be there for the foreseeable, and we'll carry on fundraising to make sure that's the case."

She added: "It has been really exhausting but it has also been really rewarding and I see the benefit it brings to our community."

The town's volleyball club had warned it would have to fold if the centre closed on 3 December

A sports hall with a green floor and people playing volleyball on either side of a high net, with a woman with short brown hair and a blue hoodie in the foreground — The town's volleyball club had warned it would have to fold if the centre closed on 3 December

Last June, Teme Leisure, which runs the centre on behalf of Shropshire Council, said it would be handing back the contract after a grant was stopped by the previous Conservative administration.

The new Liberal Democrat-run council said it could not reinstate the funding due to financial pressures.

The community rallied together and raised £15,000 to prevent the centre from closing to the public in December. This was enough to keep it going until the end of March.

Lee Hassan, Teme Leisure's general manager, said: "We are delighted that tripartite funding has been agreed between The Friends, Cleobury Town Council and Teme Leisure to keep the doors firmly open of this vital community asset.

"Facilities like these are the lifeline to our communities and we thank Shropshire Council for its continued support for leisure provision in the south of the county."

James Owen, council cabinet member for leisure, said "the passion and dedication shown by the Friends of Cleobury Sports Centre has been extraordinary".

"Their efforts have made a real difference in safeguarding this vital community asset," he said.

The centre will form part of the council's new countywide leisure contract, which takes effect from August 2027.

The authority wants to simplify its offering by bringing as many of its leisure centres as possible under one contract in hope of finding savings.

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