Clarification sought on Harborough District Leisure Trust’s use of funds

In his update at Cabinet on Monday 9 September 2024, Cllr Graves, Portfolio Holder for Finance called on Harborough District Leisure Trust to share with him, residents and the council the destination of £105,000 of public funds as at the end of 2019/20.

Cllr Graves said: “I have received multiple enquiries about the £105,000 remaining funds left over in the ‘old’ Harborough District Leisure Trust, after it stopped trading around 1 April 2019. This Trust was set up by Harborough District Council to manage the previous leisure contract with the external contractor and started operating from 2009/10.

“The £105,000 was built up gradually over a number of years during the initial contract. The source of the money is from the general public, who paid into the till, to gain access to leisure centre facilities in both Market Harborough and Lutterworth, and also the district council that paid into the Trust on a regular basis as part of the contract.

“The enquiries I have received from residents have ranged from curious interest and simple requests for reassurance, to one that has provided some concerning information. I have tried to verify such information through normal council processes over a very long period of time, but the Trust has refused to provide the details of the groups and organisations that have benefitted from their dispersal of the funds (and to what amount), and my patience has run out.

“Harborough District Council has written several, highly encouraging letters to the Leisure Trust seeking this information. In the last correspondence, the council said it wished to celebrate the success of any funding grants to local charities, groups or organisations, but this has again gone unanswered. I am now calling on the Trust to publicly declare where the Trust money has been spent. I am sure we would all like to know as I do not think it an unreasonable request.”