Serco commences leisure contract in Shropshire

Under a contract with Shropshire Community Leisure Trust, Serco is providing management services to five leisure centres across the county namely: Market Drayton Swimming Centre, Oswestry Leisure Centre, Shrewsbury Sports Village and Indoor Bowls Hall, Whitchurch Swimming Centre and the Quarry Fitness and Swimming Centre in Shrewsbury, as part of a new approach to service delivery. The contract, which commenced on 1st August 2012, is initially for a period of 10 years, with an option to extend for a further five.

Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council's Cabinet member responsible for active and healthy lifestyles, said: "We are pleased to announce Serco and Shropshire Community Leisure Trust as management operators for five of our leisure centres.

We are extremely passionate about providing excellent public services to our residents, and the appointment of a new operator will offer better value for money for local people and guarantee the ongoing provision of excellent leisure services within some of our main market towns". 

Serco and the Trust have extensive plans to deliver detailed social outcomes programmes and a comprehensive programme of capital investment across three of the leisure centres amounting to almost £1.2m during the contract period. 

"We're absolutely delighted to have been selected with the Trust as the Council's operators", says Keith Thomas, Managing Director of Serco Leisure. "Our mission in Shropshire is a simple one - provide active and healthy lifestyles for all, in a safe, warm, clean, friendly, fun environment for the local community, at an affordable cost. To achieve this and on behalf of the Trust, we will work in genuine partnership with the council and introduce a programme of continuous innovation and improvement to enhance the value of both the facilities and the programmes". 

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