Five Somerset leisure facilities facing closure after the collapse of their previous operator have been rescued through a £215,000 agreement secured by Somerset Council.
Freedom Leisure will take over management of the sites from July 1 under a two-year contract worth £214,594.
The arrangement follows the collapse of Fusion Lifestyle, the charity which operated more than 100 leisure venues across Britain before entering administration on April 1.
Freedom Leisure, which is based in East Sussex, already manages several facilities across Somerset, including sites in Bridgwater, Chard and Yeovil.
Current members at the affected venues are expected to receive further information in the coming weeks regarding any changes to memberships before the transfer takes place.
Somerset Council confirmed the agreement on Tuesday evening, ending months of uncertainty for both staff and customers.
Fusion Lifestyle, headquartered in Dartford, said it had entered administration following a “prolonged period of financial difficulty” linked to the coronavirus pandemic and rising living costs.
The charity, which operated swimming pools, gyms and lidos nationwide, said it had “made significant attempts to introduce new funding” before the efforts ultimately failed.
Somerset leisure centres rescued by Freedom Leisure after council secures £215,000 deal
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Somerset Council stepped in with £370,000 in emergency funding to keep the five facilities operational for three months while a replacement provider was identified.
Council officers said in April that two operators already working within Somerset had been competing for the contract, though they warned the arrangement was unlikely to include “anything new and exciting in terms of investment”.
London’s Golden Lane Sports and Fitness Centre was confirmed as the only permanent closure linked to Fusion Lifestyle’s collapse after shutting at the end of April.
The rescued Somerset facilities are spread across communities in the eastern part of the county.
Shepton Mallet Lido on Shaftgate Avenue also remains open after beginning its summer season in May, while negotiations over the future management contract continue.
Strode Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre on Strode Street in Street and Tor Sports and Leisure Centre on Oriel Drive in Glastonbury complete the list of facilities included in the deal.
The Glastonbury venue recently benefited from a £2.2million refurbishment funded through the Government-backed town deal programme.
Frome Leisure Centre on Princess Anne Road and Wells Leisure Centre on Charter Way will continue operating under the new agreement
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Somerset Council confirmed in May that none of the grant funding had been paid directly to Fusion Lifestyle.
Freedom Leisure is expected to carry out a full assessment of all five sites following the handover process.
Council deputy leader Liz Leyshon said the agreement would help protect both services and jobs.
“The new operator already runs leisure services in Somerset, and the two-year contract will ensure that we can keep the facilities open and protect the staff who have continued to work there through a very unsettling time,” Ms Leyshon said.
“The experienced leisure operator will now undertake a comprehensive audit of all the facilities, and we will move towards awarding a new long-term contract from 2028.”
Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts, portfolio holder for communities, environment and climate change, said the centres played an important role within their local areas.
“The five leisure facilities in Wells, Street, Glastonbury, Frome and Shepton Mallet are vital to the community – not just for the leisure facilities but the hubs they are within the settlements and the wider catchment,” she said.