Agenda item

A presentation on the headlines from Burnley Leisure`s 2019/20 accounts will be made by the Trust`s Chief Executive Gerard Vinton.

The Chief Executive of the Leisure Trust presented the Trust`s accounts for 2019/20 for members` scrutiny.

He also gave a presentation on the challenges of the past twelve months due to the impact of the Covid pandemic and gave an overview of the achievements made by the Trust during lockdown periods in 2020/21.  These included collaborative working and support to the Burnley Together partnership, providing community support with on-line fitness classes for the whole community, lunches for children during the school holiday period and delivering food parcels and presents to deprived areas and hosting the Burnley`s first mass Covid vaccination site.

He also detailed the financial impact of the Covid pandemic on the Trust and the measures taken to ameliorate them.  He set out the roadmap for re-opening the facilities in the coming months and then outlined the steps to recovery for the forthcoming 18 months .

Members made the following comments and asked questions

·         Complimented the Leisure trust staff for their work to combat the effects of the pandemic, in particular the support to the Burnley Together partnership

·         Was there an audit of the Trustees to identify any skills gap?

The Chief Executive said that both the Chair and Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees were to have stood down in 2020 but had agreed to continue for a further period during the pandemic.  He explained that there was to be a complete overhaul of governance matters from April 2021 including the Articles of Association which would be reported back to the Board and to the Council.

·         When was the audited report written and who was the author?

The Chief Executive said that he had written the report in September  2020 in line with the Covid 19 legislation

·         The report was a public document and there were concerns about its tone with regard to relations with the Council.

The Chief Executive explained that recollections on the negotiations with the Council at the time of writing the report may be differ, but that things had moved on since then.  He said that the good relationship between the Trust and the Council would be reflected in the Annual Report next year.

·         Would the Trust place focus on mental health in the creative packages that were being developed?

The Chief Executive that this was integral to the delivery of the Together and Active Futures project.

·         Were the Trustees, in particular the local authority trustees, aware of their position arising from the report in respect of their going concern commitment and the comments about the Council in the future?.    The report seemed to cast doubt on the Trustees` commitment to the Trust`s going concern which could impact on them personally. At the time the report was written had comfort been sought and received from the Council about their position and if not, what was the legal authoritative basis for the going concern commitment and the position in relationship to the risk register and risk policy of the Leisure Trust.?

The Chief Executive said that the Trustees were kept informed of the potential of insolvency at all times. The letter of support from the Council had not been received until after the report was written and on the advice of the external auditor the liabilities had to be included.  The Trustees had been assured that no personal liability would be placed on them for any debt, should that occur.

·         Who is responsible for art and culture in the Town?

The Chief Executive said that it was the Leisure Trust`s responsibility to lead on arts and culture in the town and that going forward it would be looking at how to increase arts development in the town  by re-appointing to the position of Head of Culture and engaging with all arts organisations in order to provide a cultural offer in Burnley.

IT WAS AGREED

That the Chief Executive of the Leisure Trust be thanked for his presentation and that the audited accounts for 2019/20 be noted.