A LEISURE trust that provides sports and social activities has made giant leaps in growth and has even more grand plans for the future.

Richmondshire Leisure Trust, which runs Richmond Swimming Pool, Liberty Leisure Centre in Richmond and Colburn Leisure Centre, takes a hands-on approach to finding new customers and it has paid off, with a 30 per cent increase in usage at Colburn gym.

General manager Austin Gordon is passionate in giving local residents and families value for money, but is still managing to make a surplus in profit each year from the services to pour back into the trust.

He said: “Five years ago the pool was run by the local authority and it just was not sustainable.

“It was hard for a lot of businesses and the council had to cut our funding, which was understandable. We had to become more efficient – things like making sure we were turning lights off, and using less staff.

“The swimming pool alone was not making money so we took on Liberty and Colburn Leisure Centres, even though Colburn was a gamble – but we have turned it around and massively increased membership and usage so that helps us run the pool.”

The opening of a new crazy golf course this summer has also helped footfall, and it was created with the help of donations of time and equipment by the trustees and local businesses.

Mr Gordon was also thrilled to have Richmond Swimming Pool feature in an international industry magazine for the Amateur Swimming Association.

He said: “It normally profiles large pools from big cities so to have a four-page spread about our provincial pool was amazing and really put us on the swimming map.”

Big plans for the future include a new bunk house in an old sauna and steam room suite that is no longer used.

Mr Gordon has built a relationship with many Richmondshire accommodation businesses in order to offer discount vouchers for guests, and from that has done extension research on the type of accommodation on offer in the area and what was still missing.

He said: “Richmond accommodation is full nearly all year around, mainly due to Coast to Coast walkers.

“But there’s nothing for less than around £50 a night in the town, so I thought it would be ideal to have something similar to a youth hotel, for around £25 a night, to cater for a slightly different market.”