It is full steam ahead for Rye Pool and Leisure Centre to transfer to a new charity, Rye Recreation and Wellbeing CIO on Tuesday, April 1. On Monday, March 24 Rye Town Council agreed the 20-year head lease it will take on from the freeholder East Sussex County Council. In turn, the town council will enter into a sub-lease with the CIO to operate the centre, run currently by Freedom Leisure on behalf of Rother District Council.
Negotiations to pass this much-loved community asset have been ongoing for two years now, kickstarted after the pool shut in November 2022 due to the prevailing very high energy costs. Because of the complexities and number of stakeholders involved – including the Aquinas Trust – discussions have needed to be both detailed and thorough, drawing on a wide range of local knowledge and expertise.
Chair of the CIO Barry Nealon said: “We are so grateful to everyone in the town who has supported us over the past two years to take this on, not least to Rye Town Council for backing us, and to the town clerk Richard Farhall for his unwavering help throughout. We are also indebted to all those donors who have helped us, without them none of this would have been possible. Fellow CIO trustees have worked tirelessly in the background, Vagn Hansen on all things financial, Rebekah Gilbert on the administration and Ian Potter our legal advisor.
“I’m most grateful to Deborah Kenneally of Rother District Council who led negotiations with unswerving dedication to make this happen. And also to Pauline Young of the estates team at ESCC.”
Centre director Dan Lynn added: “The list of things to do for the transition is monumental, but we are working our way through it so that the transfer should be seamless. I am very much looking forward to working with all the staff and meeting the centre’s members.”
Image Credits: Nick Forman .
I just hope that they go back to the pre-pandemic opening hours. Closing at 1pm on the weekends is not good for people who still work. Weekends are when we use the gym as we are both busy during the week and having to go early in the morning after enjoying a night out is not ideal.