High Life Highland's leisure centres, gyms and pools ready to reopen
High Life Highland's leisure centres, gyms and swimming pools are ready to reopen in a month's time and it is critical for the charity's future that they do so, the organisation's boss has said.
Chief executive Steve Walsh has outlined the charity’s road to financial recovery thanks to its bounceback campaign.
He had warned of a year-end deficit in the region of £11.4 million for the service due to Covid-19 but said that this was now forecast was £1.55 million thanks to some members continuing to subscribe but mainly the furlough scheme.
More than 1200 Highland High Life staff were put on the UK Government’s announcement of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
Mr Walsh has outlined the current financial position and the next steps to be taken in in a report for Highland Council’s Recovery Board to be given on August 24.
In it, he states: “We have been gradually re-opening our facilities to our customers and feedback has been fantastic. However, re-opening our leisure centres and swimming pools is crucially important to our financial security.
"We are ready to open our leisure facilities as soon as we get the go-ahead, the current date of 14 September represents a full six-months since we closed the doors”.
“We are really looking forward to playing our part and helping the people of the Highlands get fit and healthy."
High Life Highland recently reopened the popular Highland Folk Museum in Newtonmore with Covid-19 precautionary measures in place including bookings needing to be made.
