Trustees of a charity-run leisure centre have said it can no longer afford to remain operational.

Folkestone Sports Centre Trust has run the Kent leisure centre of the same name since 1967.

The charity promotes, organises, manages and assists with leisure activities in the Folkestone area.

The charity said its staff had battled and made personal sacrifices over the past four years but now it has reached a point where it has to “accept defeat”.

“It is with deep regret that the trustees of Folkestone Sports Centre Trust must advise that charity can no longer afford to remain operational,” it said.

“The current national and indeed worldwide situation has seen a dramatic increase in the trust’s costs, and locally a decline in income as many people struggle with their own finances.

“The trustees remain ever grateful to our management team and amazing staff, who have battled through the past four years and in many cases have made personal sacrifices to try to keep ‘The Sporty’ going – but we have now lost that battle.”

Nobody from the charity was able to confirm how many jobs are at risk because of the charity’s closure, but the trust had 108 employees according to its most-recently filed accounts with the Charity Commission. 

The accounts, for the six months to the end of September 2022, show it had an income of £903,609 during that period. 

“Many thanks to our customers who, for many generations of their families, have grown up with the sports centre,” the charity said.

“Over the next few days we will be appointing an independent administrator to take us through the next steps.

“We ask you to keep looking at our website and social media platforms for any updates.”