City leisure operator 'still losing money'

A non-profit organisation which took over running a city's leisure centres is still losing money 12 months on from when it started.

Freedom Leisure took on the interim running of GL1 and Oxstalls in Gloucester after the Aspire Trust's closure in 2023 and now runs them permanently.

The organisation is currently in deficit of just over £270,000, Gloucester City councillors were told this week.

Freedom Leisure's regional manager Lee Thomas said that in income terms, the organisation has "surpassed expectations" considering how much it has invested.

Mr Thomas added his team are "committed to ensuring a future for leisure provision across the city".

Despite Freedom Leisure currently being in deficit, Chief Operating Officer, Matt Wickham, says there is no risk to the council.

Wickham says that it's "their loss" that they've "taken a risk on".

In a recent council meeting, Freedom Leisure announced that the amount of health and fitness memberships have increased by more than 200.

There have also been a number of community events like robot wars, comic con, wrestling and dance shows.