Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Centre to reopen with Borough Council support 

In a confidential report considered at a meeting of the council held last night (16 March 2021), councillors heard that the leisure centre operator, GLL, needed financial support due to the extensive closure of the centre during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The extent of the support provided will depend on open-book inspection of GLL’s accounts, with a large proportion of the support eligible for recovery from the Government via a dedicated support fund for local authorities.

Speaking after the meeting Cllr Seb Lowe, Leader of Rugby Borough Council, said: “It is absolutely crucial that residents continue to have access to affordable, high quality sports and leisure provision.

“The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Centre has a popular and well supported gym, swimming pools and sports hall, but it is also used extensively by schools, by adults who are recovering from surgery or from cardiovascular treatments, and from residents with disabilities.

It is absolutely right that we provide our limited resources to support residents’ health and wellbeing and to help our most vulnerable residents access this essential service.

“While providing this support we are also clear that we expect GLL to work with us to ensure that this funding is put to good use and we are grateful for GLLs commitment to Rugby’s residents.”

The funding will relieve GLL of the obligation to pay Rugby Borough Council a management fee during the period 2020-21 and provide additional support over the next financial year.