South Downs Leisure - under the starter’s gun...

It’s taken a year of hard work but, on Tuesday 14 April Worthing Borough Councillors voted unanimously to give a ringing endorsement to the final stage of the process to transfer Worthing’s successful leisure services to a community run trust.

Gaining support from across Worthing’s political spectrum, the creation of South Downs Leisure Trust, who will officially take over the management of all Worthing’s leisure and fitness sites on 1st May, marks a watershed moment both for the town, and for the Borough Council’s ambitions for the future of local government delivery.

John Mitchell, Director for Communities at Adur & Worthing Councils, explains:

“The decision to create the South Downs Leisure Trust was not taken lightly by the Council’s Members or Officers - but I am convinced that it was the right one to make. 

“Worthing Leisure - South Downs Leisure as it will be from 1 May - have been performing increasingly strongly in the last few years, and the Borough Council can be rightly proud of its record of growing sport and fitness across Worthing.

“However, there is only so much that we can do and, by transferring management to a community run trust, we’re opening the doors to increasing levels of funding and investment in the facilities; bringing an even greater community voice into the running of the Trust and to expanding an already highly regarded offer yet further.

“In Catching The Wave, we said that we would be cultivating enterprising communities of people deeply engaged in the running of their communities; working with the South Downs Leisure Trust is the largest example of that ambition coming to fruition yet.”

While South Downs Leisure customers will be unaffected by the official change of management on 1st May, over time they will experience the benefits of significant improvements to the venues and facilities.  Any profits made by the Trust will be reinvested directly back into the business, complementing the additional tax breaks available to it as a Non-Profit Distributing Organisation and so providing the working funds needed to make the most of leisure and sport in Worthing.

For more details about the Trust, or to find out about the exciting range of fitness opportunities on offer, please visit their website: www.SouthDownsLeisure.co.u