Community Groups reminded to register their interest in the assets of the Louth Swimming Pool charity

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Only one groups has so far registered an interest in the assets of the Louth Swimming Pool Charity and the closing date is fast approaching.

With the new state-of-the-art Meridian Leisure Centre opening on February 6, 2010, East Lindsey District Council is renewing appeals for community groups and local organisations to submit their expressions of interest by the closing date of Friday, February 26, 2010.

Community groups in and around Louth with the same charitable objectives of the Louth Swimming Pool Charity can submit a proposal looking at the transfer of the asset or if they think they could be entitled to a share of the proceeds from the sale of Louth Swimming Pool.

The current charitable objective is to provide ‘a swimming pool for the benefit of the inhabitants of the town of Louth and its surrounding area within the area of East Lindsey District Council’. With the Meridian Leisure Centre providing a replacement, East Lindsey District Council is tasked with demonstrating best consideration against these objectives when determining, with its beneficiaries, how the asset should be disposed of.

The options to choose from have been outlined by the Charities Commission:

• The asset can be directly transferred to another charity with similar charitable objectives for use at the discretion of the trustees of such;
• The proceeds from its sale are invested and the income is used to benefit and support various recreational activities within the area. Effectively, this would mean the charity becoming a grant making trust; or
• The proceeds from its sale are given to a recreational charity(s) for use at the discretion of the trustees of such.

Once the deadline for proposals has passed, East Lindsey District Council and Louth Town Council will put the proposals agreed by the Charities Commission out to public consultation to establish the ones most widely supported by the people of Louth.

Those community groups wishing to register an interest should complete an application form available from the District Council or at www.e-lindsey.gov.uk and submit it to Mark Humphreys, Business Manager for Leisure Facilities, East Lindsey District Council, Tedder Hall, Manby Park, Louth, Lincolnshire, LN11 8UP by 5pm on the closing date.

The dates for the public consultation will be confirmed once the Charity Commission has agreed which of the organisations registering an interest would be eligible.