How did they fund the centre?

[Paul]

They keep on going on about how no-one ever turned up at the centre (though in some episodes it does actually seem quite busy - and I don't mean 'Back from the Dead'). But if this is the case how did they fund the place? And how did they manage to keep paying all the staff? If there were so few customers you'd think they'd cut down on staff... I suppose Brittas isn't they type to want to do that though...

Or are leisure centres funded completely by the council in Britain?

[sev29]

The local council (hence Clr Druggett's involvement) would have paid for it - or rather the people of Whitbury through their Poll Tax (I think we're post-Rates here). Which explains why Druggett constantly wants rid of Brittas............ Not sure it mattered whether anyone came or not - leisure centres are still subsidised (free swim anyone under 16 or over 65?) in the name of getting us all fit & costing the NHS less.

[sugarkane]

When an inspector visited the centre, he reckoned that the numbers didn't matter (of course, Julie was quite quick to point out that the figures were below average), it's just the running of the centre and how Brittas ran it. He was always offering coffee to people -- and then charging them after they accepted it. So even though most days saw hardly any people (but then there were usually one or two pensioners in the pool), I guess it was down to Brittas' attitude to the running of the centre (which was obviously very high with the endless amount of ideas he came up with!)

[Paul]

Thanks for the information sev29 and sugarkane.

[Lee Vilenski]

Indeed.Our local (When I say local, I mean... some way away) leisure centre is almost as devoid of activity as Whitburry, it's still fine.