Somerset Council has confirmed that no central government funding from the Glastonbury town deal was paid directly to Fusion Lifestyle before the charity went into administration. Fusion Lifestyle, which operated five leisure centres across Somerset including the Tor Sports and Leisure Centre in Glastonbury, entered administration on April 1 following significant financial challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Tor Sports and Leisure Centre in Glastonbury was upgraded with £2.29 million in central government grants as part of the £23.6 million Glastonbury town deal investment plan. However, Somerset Council clarified that none of this money was transferred directly to Fusion Lifestyle. Instead, Fusion provided £300,000 in match funding for the fit-out of the facility, such as gym equipment and furniture, which took place after the main refurbishment was completed.
Councillor Dawn Denton raised concerns about the financial stability of Fusion Lifestyle and the council’s due diligence process during a committee meeting. She questioned when the town deal funds were released and whether any measures existed to recover funds following Fusion’s entry into administration.
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Responding to these concerns, Deputy Leader Liz Leyshon explained that the main funding was held and managed by Somerset Council, which owns the freehold of the leisure centre. The council took back the lease during the refurbishment and reinstated it once the project was complete. Fusion’s financial difficulties did not affect the disbursement of town deal funds, as none were paid directly to the charity.
In the wake of Fusion Lifestyle’s collapse, Somerset Council has allocated £370,000 in interim funding to maintain operations for the five former Fusion leisure sites for three more months. A new operator is expected to assume control in early July, with Everyone Active and Freedom Leisure reportedly bidding for a two-year contract. This upcoming contract is anticipated to focus on running the facilities without significant new infrastructure investments.