Devon leisure centres not fully recovered post pandemic

Leisure centres are working to increase participation

A company that runs leisure centres in Devon has told councillors they are still recovering from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Fusion Lifestyle runs six centres in Devon and told South Hams District Council the company is trading at about 80% of 2019 numbers.

It also said the leisure centres were affected by the impact of the cost of living crisis.

Business manager Peter King said they were trying to increase participation.

'Flat income'

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), he said, "We're doing as much as we humanly can in order to encourage usage, encourage participation, and further engage with the outer villages and boroughs."

Mr King went on to say that across west Devon and the South Hams, participation has fallen slightly since May, from about 60,000 to 58,000 resulting in a "fairly flat income."

He told councillors the decision not to reopen cafes at their facilities was because they are "not very profitable."