Volleyball club fears over leisure centre future

Katherine Howells (left) and other members are worried about future of the sports and fitness centre

A volleyball club with nearly 100 members fears for its future because of uncertainty over the leisure centre it uses.

Teme Leisure, which runs Cleobury Mortimer Sports and Fitness Centre on behalf of Shropshire Council, said it was forced to end the agreement after the removal of a £23,500 grant.

Cleobury Mortimer Volleyball Club, based at the centre, said it would struggle to find an alternative home within a reasonable distance.

Lee Hassan, general manager of Teme Leisure told a meeting on Monday: "It is very imperative we keep this facility open for the community. We are a social enterprise set up for the community – not a private company with shareholders."

However, unless other options are found, the centre will close to the public on 3 December.

Cleobury Mortimer Volleyball Club was established in 1981 and runs three teams in the West Midlands League.

Katherine Howells, a member for 25 years, said: "If it was to close, it could be the potential end of our club."

"Our season starts in September, but by December if we can't play anymore we would have to pull out of everything.

"Plus all the juniors that engage with it. That will be the end."

Mr Hanson told a Cleobury Mortimer Town Council meeting on Monday a proposal was put forward to fund the facility until August 2025 in exchange for an extension of the lease for its Ludlow facility, which ends on 31 March 2029.

But Heather Kidd, leader of Shropshire Council, said: "The offers we have on the table at the present time, we cannot sign up to.

"We need to do something that is in the best interests of the whole of Shropshire so that all our leisure centres stay open."

She said the Cleobury budget cut was a problem her administration had inherited.

"We are in a very difficult position. It is not something I wanted when taking over as council leader, it is not our budget," she added.

Kidd said its intention was to "find ways to keep it open" and pointed towards the huge fundraising effort in Bishop's Castle that helped secure a new swimming pool at the SpArC leisure centre.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.