Campaign launched to save Shropshire leisure centre from closing

The figure is the amount needed to keep SpArC in Bishop's Castle functioning "in a sustainable way" once funding from Shropshire Council dries up, supporters have claimed.

A website – www.savethesparc.org – has gone live as part of the Don't Let The SpArC Go Out campaign, along with a crowdfunding page for donations.

Organisers have set a target of raising £50,000 in five months in aid of the venue. But a further £200,000 will be needed to keep the centre running long-term in the wake of Shropshire Council's county-wide leisure budget being cut from £1.8 million to zero in 2017, campaigners have said.

Venues such as SpArC and Church Stretton Leisure Centre are already facing a major loss of funding as money given to them through schools has been cut.

Campaigners presented a 2,500-signature petition to Shropshire Council in December calling for assurances over SpArC's future.

Jean Shirley, who is co-ordinating the campaign, said: "The impact on SpArC, Bishops Castle's leisure, arts and sports facility could be enormous.

"Much-used facilities could disappear from the town."

She said those affected would include primary and secondary school pupils, users of fitness classes and gym facilities, retired patrons, those with GP referrals for heart disease and obesity, those with special needs, and patrons of SpArC's theatre.

"In other words – virtually all levels of the local community could be adversely affected," she said.

"Providing urgent action is taken it is quite possible that these valuable facilities can be saved for the community and for the long term future.

"Many people, including Shropshire Council and Teme Leisure are already working on plans to keep SpArC alive.

"For example, Shropshire Council has already undertaken to install 200 solar panels on the roof of SpArC which will contribute to the costs of power to run the centre.

"An exhaustive audit is under way to see how running costs can be minimised without effecting the efficient running of the centre.

"The Don't Let The SpArC Go Out campaign is aiming to raise £250,000 which is the estimated cost to keep the centre functioning in an environmentally and economically sustainable way.

"The first phase is to raise £50,000 which will be used to completely refurbish the wet side of the female changing rooms and other areas of the swimming facility.

"It is essential that this area is dealt with first because the swimming pool is the most costly part of the entire complex and is therefore the most vulnerable to closure."

The swingeing budget cuts, which would take effect at the start 2017/18 financial year, were announced in January.

Other venues that could be hit by the budget cuts include Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery and any potential new swimming pool to replace the Quarry Swimming and Leisure Centre.

• The crowdfunding page can be found at sports fundraising website www.podiumpartners.org