Schools are sent survey on use of Bishop's Castle leisure centre

Pupils, families and teachers in the Bishop's Castle area are being asked to fill out the questionnaire about how important facilities such as the gym, swimming pool, cafe and theatre at the town's SpArC centre are to them, as the latest initiative in a drive to save the venue from closure.

The data will be used to back up the "Don't Let The SpArC Go Out" campaign which is also trying to raise £50,000 to overhaul the pool and reduce running costs.

At present Shropshire Council is set to withdraw all funding by April 2017, meaning the venue faces an uncertain future.

The new survey has been drawn up by Bishop's Castle Community College, which shares its site with the leisure centre.

Headteacher Alan Doust said the students themselves had been involved in the design of the survey, as fears grow over how the loss of leisure facilities could affect health and wellbeing of children both at the Community College and at its feeder schools spread across south west Shropshire.

He said it asked what families and schools currently used and needed at the centre, and that data would be used to "support and influence" decisions on future provision at the centre.

He said: "We are all very concerned that SpArC Leisure in Bishops Castle may close.

"Closure will affect the college, local primary schools and everyone in the town and the wider community.

"Students are really concerned about how this will affect them and their families and the impact this will have on health and well-being, as well as meeting with friends and learning new skills.

"I'm really proud of what the students have created and encourage everyone to complete the survey.

"It will run until the end of August which gives everyone plenty of time to tell us how you currently use SpArC Leisure and what changes you'd like to see."

The campaign group estimates £200,000 will be needed to keep the centre running in the coming years though Shropshire Council subsidy is set to be slashed to zero under the authority's leisure budget for 2017 to 2018.

A range of fundraising events are now taking place in the town, co-ordinated by Bishop's Castle Mayor Karen Bavastock.

She said the survey was an important development in the campaign.

"I'm so impressed with the work the students at The Community College have done and would encourage everyone to complete the survey to help keep the SpArC alive," she said.

To access the survey online visit www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/SparcLeisure

It is also available at Enterprise House on Station Street to use one free of charge to complete the survey.