An improved financial forecast for the trust in charge of Highland leisure and recreation facilities has been hailed a positive example of joint partnership working.
Highland Council’s recovery board, set up in May and tasked with leading the region’s emergence from lockdown, has welcomed an positive update on the High Life Highland’s “bounceback” campaign.
The organisation, which runs the likes of the region’s leisure centres, museums and libraries, believes it has reduced its projected loss of £11.4m, predicted in March, to a worst-case scenario loss of £1.55m.
In a report presented to the recovery board this week High Life Highland’s chief executive Steve Walsh said that figure had been reduced through “extensive mitigation measures”.
Those measures and its strategic business planning have been praised by the chair of the Highland Council’s recovery board, Inverness councillor Alasdair Christie.
Mr Christie said: “High Life Highland’s report laid out the challenges they have faced and all the work that has gone into improving their financial situation and putting them on a stronger footing going forward. It also focussed on the strong partnership working that has taken place between the council and the charity during the pandemic to help and support those most in need in communities across the Highlands”.
“I think it is a reflection of the astute management and commitment of staff at High Life Highland that their financial outlook has improved to such an extent. I would also like to praise all the creative hard work that has allowed the services they deliver to support the most vulnerable in our communities; youth work, adult learning and music tuition, along with support for the council-run community hubs, to continue throughout the pandemic. This close collaboration and partnership working with colleagues in the council and other partners shows the huge effort taken to work together.
“As High Life Highland moves forward and focuses on the gradual re-opening of their facilities which is crucially important to their financial security, I am sure that they will continue to pull out all the stops to improve their position. We wish them every success with their bounceback campaign.”