Fusion Lifestyle took over the operation of and 50 year leases for Mendip District Council’s five leisure facilities on 1st June, including Frome Leisure Centre. The new arrangements will save Mendip District Council considerable sums of money while securing investments and improvements in all the leisure centres.

A list of FAQ’s relating to the project is below which people may find helpful is here – http://www.mendip.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=8961&p=0 This list will also be updated shortly. Please also see here http://www.mendip.gov.uk/article/3773/Multi-million-pound-investment-for-Mendips-leisure-facilities and here http://www.mendip.gov.uk/article/3822/New-leisure-centre-operator-signs-on-the-dotted-line for more about the new arrangements.

Fusion Lifestyle is a highly experienced sports and leisure management organisation with community service at its core. They work in partnership with local authorities, schools and colleges, and other public sector organisations, to provide recreational sport, health and fitness activities to local communities. They are a registered charity, which means that all incoming resources are used to improve and develop all their facilities and activities.  See www.fusion-lifestyle.com.

Fusion has pledged to invest £2 million in capital improvements to Frome Leisure Centre.  As was discussed in the Leisure Steering Members Group meeting in late May the implementation of these improvements will create a degree of disruption and Fusion is actively working to mitigate the service disruption. When their plans have been further developed, Fusion will have put together a public consultation plan which will include all the clubs and customers who use the leisure centre and the wider community will also have opportunity to contribute.

Fusion will be talking to Frome Town Councillors and Mendip District Councillors, later in June and will be making a public announcement about their plans to improve the Leisure Centre soon after. I am asking for a public meeting to be arranged, and for public consultation to be a two-way conversation.

I and cllr Danny Unwin (Wells St Thomas ward) are well placed as we are the two Lib Dem councillor members of the Leisure Partnership Board, with other Mendip District Councillors (John Parham, Phil Ham, Graham Noel, all Conservatives and Cabinet members at Mendip). The Board last met on 21st May and will meet every month about the handover and the improvements to all the district’s leisure centres.

A new user agreement has been negotiated between Fusion and Frome College. A number of issues have arisen on the future of swimming lessons in Frome as a result of discussions between Fusion and Frome Swimming Club about Fusion’s future plans. Fusion and Frome Swimming Club have issued a joint statement to explain the outcome of their discussions – please see Frome Standard article.

I and other Lib Dem councillors in Frome have been contacted by local residents about some of the changes that are being discussed for Frome Leisure Centre between Fusion and local sports clubs. As local councillors, we represent the local community and we are very happy to raise people’s concerns with Mendip and Fusion so that any issues can be resolved. I raised a number of issues with Fusion so far and I am encouraging Fusion to take account of any concerns raised as they draw up their plans to improve the facilities.

I am also pushing for Fusion to work with Frome Town Council, sports clubs and other organisations in Frome to improve sports facilities in a wider sense, as Frome has had no ‘sports development’ service from Mendip for years, and I am pleased that the right sort of conversations are now starting to take place as a result.

Please see here for more of the background to this: http://adamboyden.mycouncillor.org.uk/2015/04/14/saving-and-improving-leisure-facilities/

Please do get in touch if you have any concerns or comments. Adam Boyden, Frome College ward