Mystery donor pledges £5,000 A YEAR to help keep Bishop's Castle leisure centre going

More than £20,000 has now been raised towards upgrading the swimming pool at the SpArC Leisure Centre in Bishop's Castle.

The "Don't Let the SpArC Go Out" campaign has also now set dates for half a dozen fundraising events between now and the start of October in a drive to raise £50,000 to overhaul the pool and reduce running costs

But the target is just the first stage, with an estimated £200,000 needed to keep the town leisure centre, which includes a swimming pool, gym, cafe and theatre, running in the long term as Shropshire Council has announced it is to withdraw funding by April 2017.

Campaign organiser, Jean Shirley said two anonymous donors had contributed large sums swelling the campaign fund in recent days, one giving £2,500, the other pledging £5,000 a year ongoing.

She said: "This is fantastic news. It means that in just three months from our campaign start we have raised 40 percent of our initial budget and still have nine months to go before Shropshire Council funding ceases.

"With the summer months upon us and a number of outdoor activities planned to raise money for SpArC we are more than hopeful that we will achieve the goal."

She said the pool overhaul had been targeted first as it was the most costly area to operate and as such is the most vulnerable to closure.

"Now we are actually getting into real costs for work we are finding that some of the prices we are receiving are more reasonable than originally envisaged by Shropshire Council. It is therefore possible that we may be able to achieve our goal a little more economically.

"Ultimately we seek a solid, sustainable future for the SpArC, so that people in this region can enjoy reasonable health, fitness and entertainment long term," she said.

Meanwhile a "core" of volunteers with fundraising ideas have come together led by Bishop's Castle Mayor Karen Bavastock, who has held meeting in recent weeks to co-ordinate efforts to support the lesiure centre.

Fund raising events already planned include a music day at the Six Bells pub on June 18, a six-a side cricket competition at Bishop's Castle Cricket Club on June 19, and a concert by Bishop's Castle Orchestra at SpArC itself on June 30, as well as other events in the coming months, from a charity cycle race and lamb sale to fundraising at schools around the area.

Councillor Bavastock said more events were in the pipeline and a shop window in Church Street has been dedicated to advertising them and keeping people up to date on the campaign.