TRAFFORD’S leisure centres are now being run by a new company – but customers are being assured it is business as usual.

In October the borough’s leisure facilities - eight leisure centres and two golf courses - were handed over to a new community interest company, Trafford Leisure CIC Ltd.

Previously, Trafford Community Leisure Trust had operated the leisure facilities on behalf of the council since 2003.

But last year the leisure trust withdrew from its partnership with the council, after its funding was cut and because of concerns that it would not be able to meet the cost of modernising Trafford’s leisure facilities over the coming years.

That led to Trafford Council working alongside the trust to develop the new operating company, Trafford Leisure.

The 500 employees the trust previously employed have moved to the new company.

Similar to the leisure trust, Trafford Leisure is a non-profit organisation where any surplus income is reinvested back into the leisure operation. Trafford Leisure is owned by Trafford Council.

Jo Cherrett, chief operating officer for Trafford Leisure said, “Behind the scenes the transfer has been hard work and we have been most definitely burning the candle at both ends, but I’m delighted how it has gone.

“For our customers and staff the transfer to the new company has most definitely been business as usual and ultimately this means that our customers will have noticed no change really with the service delivery and products on offer.

“The only real noticeable difference has been the introduction of the new company logo, our aim was always to ensure nothing changed for our customers and to deliver the same great service the leisure trust delivered for the previous 12 years.”

Jo continues by saying, “The leisure trust did a fantastic job, taking 800,000 customer visits in the first year in which it operated to 2.5 million in recent years, making Trafford one of the most active boroughs in the UK.

“We have a lot of challenges ahead and we are looking forward to tackling these but ultimately our aim is to take on from where the leisure trust left off and build on the trust strengths and Kick forward and develop a first class leisure operation that the whole of the Trafford community deserves.”