Communities across Cornwall are being urged to support their local leisure centres and help protect them from permanent closure - including Falmouth's Ships and Castles Leisure Centre.

Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) runs 14 Better leisure facilities across Cornwall on behalf of Cornwall Council.

Following a month-long closure during Lockdown 2.0, all GLL leisure centres and swimming pools reopened on Wednesday. Now they need your support to ensure they remain financially viable.

Cornwall CouncillorMike Eathorne-Gibbons,Cabinet memberwith oversight of the leisure agreement between the Council andGLL, said:

"We desperately need these centres to ensure that children can learn how to swim and that families have access to facilities to help them stay healthy and active.

"We must protect these essential community facilities."

Adam Paynter, deputy leader of Cornwall Council, said:

"The Council has provided significant funding to support leisure centres this year. Without extra support from the government there is a risk that some centres may have to close if they continue operating at a loss.

"We are urging local communities to support their local centres to help prevent this from happening."

All GLL leisure centres were operating in a Covid-secure manner prior to lockdown 2.0. Those measures remain in place to keep staff and customers safe.

James Curry, GLL's Head of Service in Cornwall, added:

"We have opened all our leisure facilities, including swimming pools, this week but long periods of closure have obviously had a severe impact on our finances. This really is a case of use what's available or risk not having it there in the future."

Cornwall Council has provided a financial reliefpackage for the county's leisure centre providers.

Thevast majority ofthefunding, which wasannounced in September, was in the form ofloans to the providers totallingup to£4.4m.It also included additionalgrants, loan holidays and contract payments totallingapproximately£1.7m which was funded from Council reserves.

GLL is offering half-price membership throughout December, with no joining fee.

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