Appeal to the Communities of Islay & Jura

Dear Community Members,

We are reaching out to you, the valued members of our community, to kindly step forward and take on the role of Director for the Mactaggart Leisure Centre. Your involvement is crucial for the continued success and operation of our centre.

Regrettably, at the recent AGM on March 18th, several Directors chose to step down, leaving us with only one remaining Director. This has put our organisation in a challenging position with regards to governance.

Looking ahead, the absence of additional Directors will have significant repercussions:

• Important decisions regarding the centre’s operations cannot be made.

• Essential policies cannot be approved and signed, resulting in non-compliance.

• Employment contracts cannot be finalized, exacerbating staffing issues.

• Funding applications cannot be processed, leading to financial constraints as the centre heavily relies on this income.

• Agreements with outside contractors for essential maintenance work cannot be authorized, potentially leaving vital tasks undone.

Such circumstances threaten the very existence of our centre, which plays a vital role in our community. Closing the doors of our local Leisure Centre would have a detrimental impact on all of us.

We acknowledge that serving as a director entails a voluntary commitment and carries a level of responsibility. We understand the hesitations individuals may have due to time constraints and concerns about the role. However, in the short term, we urge you to step forward by becoming a member of the company (£10 per annum) and serving on an administrative board. The Management Team will provide information and support and handle day to day operations, with Directors overseeing and approving.

Without immediate action, the operation of the centre will come to a standstill.

Our Leisure Centre stands as a testament to the remarkable achievements of our close-knit community. The decades long fundraising efforts to establish the centre exemplify the determination and resilience of the people of Islay and Jura. We cannot afford to lose this invaluable community asset.Please, let us come together and save our Leisure Centre. We implore you to step forward and get involved.

Islay & Jura Community Enterprises Ltd is a long-established registered charity (SC015815) and provides a wide range of leisure, social and educational activities for people of all ages. We hold 4 nationally recognised awards including Queens Award for Volunteering. We operate as the Mactaggart Leisure Centre, which is an Islay & Jura Community owned facility, that includes: 25 swim pool, gym, sauna, launderette, hair salon, multi-purpose room

What we do:

As well as Schools Swimming, Swimming Lessons for the communities, we also deliver projects in partnership with others to help meet the needs of the most vulnerable & disadvantaged groups on Islay & Jura. These include but are not limited to people with mental & physical disabilities/long term health conditions, older people, unemployed/under employed people, low income families and single parents, children/young people, veterans of armed forces, serving & retired seafarers.

A member of IJCE Ltd pays £10 per annum, as well as supporting the Mactaggart Leisure Centre with your donation, this also gives you the right to have your say & vote at any meeting for the needs of the Mactaggart Leisure Centre.

We are also putting out a plea for people to please come forward and Govern on the Board of Directors – if you think you can help, bringing knowledge and skills along to assist, then please get in touch. Or if you want to help but feel you don’t want to join as a Director then please join the Steering Group, which is being formed as we speak.