THE director of Dalton Leisure Centre is urging council bosses to provide financial support, with the charity-run community facility losing 'thousands' every month during lockdown.

Bernard McPeake has written an open letter to Barrow Council chief executive Sam Plum urging the authority to provide urgent support grants to help the centre.

Mr McPeake said the centre had been 'hammered' by the pandemic and missed out on business support grants provided to similar facilities due to its status as a charity.

He has sent the letter as a 'last resort' after being 'ignored' by the council for Covid-19 business grants, which have conditions of eligibility set by the Government.

"Most of the community I am sure think we are ticking over nicely, being supported by the council, unaware that we lost £163k of income in the first lockdown and now looking to top £200k by the end of the second," the letter said.

It added: "I know that many smaller businesses were awarded between £10k and £25k – I do not resent them receiving this at all but, as a public amenity, I strongly believe that Dalton Leisure Centre should have been included.

"On its website the council was pleading for businesses to come and claim from this grant funding pot whilst at the same time rejecting the leisure centre’s applications.

"Surely, we must have the strongest case for funding as we offer such a community service in a deprived area of your borough.

"Not only do we offer a centre that keeps the community healthy with fitness classes, gyms and squash but it is such an essential social hub – a meeting place for a broad spectrum of the local population."

In response Barrow Council leader Ann Thomson said: "The Government launched and set the criteria for two non-discretionary support schemes for businesses and organisations during the first lockdown in March.

"As a borough council, our teams were responsible only for distributing these grants to businesses and organisations across the area according to this prescriptive criteria.

"We also received some additional funding for a discretionary grant scheme in line with other councils across the country.

"However, this scheme also carried a set of eligibility criteria to ensure the money helped as many businesses and organisations in the area as possible that had not already received any support.

"A new round of discretionary grants is being brought forward to provide support through the second lockdown - different to the previous one - and the organisation may be eligible for that."

The letter in full

Dear Ms Plum

I am contacting you as a last resort as I cannot believe such a valuable community asset as DALTON LEISURE CENTRE, a charitable Trust, has been ignored by Barrow Borough Council for any business grants relating to the COVID-19 virus.

The first application was rejected because our rateable value was too high (i.e. more than the maximum of £51k).

The second “Discretionary Grant” application was rejected for the same reason.

The last “Discretionary Grant” application was again rejected even though I was sure that we ticked all the boxes for the criteria and it was aimed at charities and businesses who missed out on the first two. Alas this was not to be as we had no “ongoing fixed property costs” during our closure. Inexplicably these costs excluded our essential ongoing gas, electricity, insurance costs etc which were still costing us £8k+ per month. I really do find it difficult to comprehend this third rejection.

I know that many smaller businesses were awarded between £10k and £25k – I do not resent them receiving this at all but, as a public amenity, I strongly believe that Dalton Leisure Centre should have been included. On its website the council was pleading for businesses to come and claim from this grant funding pot whilst at the same time rejecting the leisure centre’s applications.

Surely, we must have the strongest case for funding as we offer such a community service in a deprived area of your borough. Not only do we offer a centre that keeps the community healthy with fitness classes, gyms and squash but it is such an essential social hub – a meeting place for a broad spectrum of the local population. Together with providing swimming lessons for 17 schools/groups we also deliver our own structured lessons from the very young to more senior members of society.

I know that more government funding for “local authority leisure” is becoming available shortly so I am asking in advance with this one as, once rejected, there is no way of appealing.

(I am aware of the much smaller Local Restrictions support grant and the rates holiday until April 2021)

No matter how much we try to drive home the message that we are a charity, a large proportion of the borough still believe we are council owned and run.

Most of the community I am sure think we are ticking over nicely, being supported by the council, unaware that we lost £163k of income in the first lockdown and now looking to top £200k by the end of the second.

We have great support from our staff, volunteers and customers alike but not from the borough council. I feel as though we have been left withering on the vine and abandoned in this time of great need.

Yours sincerely

On behalf of the Directors

Bernard McPeake