Decision details

To agree the eligibility criteria for residents accessing the Armed Forces Leisure Membership.

It is recommended that the Portfolio Holder approves:
1)the eligibility criteria of the armed forces leisure membership as follows:
•Members must be a Gedling Borough resident
•Members must be a veteran or currently serving in the 3 armed forces (Navy, Army and Royal Air Force)
2)armed forces leisure members can access free, unlimited use of the fitness suites at Calverton, Redhill and Carlton Forum Leisure Centres.

Given the significant armed forces population in the Borough and the Council’s commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant it is deemed appropriate to offer free, unlimited use of the fitness suites at Calverton, Redhill and Carlton Forum Leisure Centres for serving members and veterans.
With 8% of the Borough’s population estimated to be current or retired armed forces personnel, the potential number of applicants for an armed forces scheme that also included personnel family members or reservists is not considered financially feasible.

An alternative option is to not offer an armed forces membership, however this is not deemed in line with the organisation’s commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant.
The Council could also consider extending this proposal to spouses, family members and reservists too, but due to the challenging financial position of the Council and its leisure centres, and the potential number of applicants, this would make the viability of the membership scheme unsustainable.