Edinburgh Leisure is vital and should get the financial help it needs – Steve Cardownie

An Edinburgh Council committee is to consider a report which says Edinburgh Leisure needs an extra £6 million if its facilities are to be maintained, writes Steve Cardownie.

The Royal Commonwealth Pool is just one of many facilities run by Edinburgh Leisure (Picture: Neil Hanna)

Tomorrow the city council’s finance and resources committee will debate whether or not to provide financial assistance to Edinburgh Leisure (EL) to help it bridge the financial gap in its income due to Covid-19.

The report to be discussed has determined that the organisation needs a financial lifeline of £6 million over and above its annual grant of £7m if facilities are to be re-opened and maintained.

The report notes: “The importance of physical and mental health and the contribution physical activity makes to individual and community health and well-being has been brought into sharp focus by Covid-19.

“The relationship between poor health, inequalities and deaths from coronavirus has been identified, as has the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on individuals and families from more deprived backgrounds. While EL has an important part to play in the city’s recovery, financial support is required to ensure the sustainability of its venues and services.”

Over the past few months, I have used this column to call for such support and I am optimistic that this matter will be sympathetically addressed.

As an ex-convener of the culture and sport committee, I am only too well aware of the importance of the service that EL provides and its impact on poorer communities.

Let’s hope that more facilities will be brought into play – notwithstanding any new pandemic measures implemented by the Government.

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