Belfast City Council has passed a motion to introduce discounted leisure centre membership for single-parent families.
The motion was raised by SDLP councillor Gary McKeown after it emerged families with one parent are currently being charged the same as those with two parents.
At Thursday night’s full council meeting, the motion passed. Cllr McKeown said he hopes this will make sure leisure facilities are “as open and accessible as possible” while encouraging more people to enjoy exercise without it being cost-prohibitive.
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Councillor McKeown said: “I was shocked to discover that only families with two parents or guardians are eligible to apply for discounted family membership, while single parent families can’t get any discount and have to pay the same fee as families with two parents. This is wrong as all families should be able to enjoy discounted access.
“Belfast City Council leisure facilities should be as open and accessible as possible, so I brought an urgent proposal to create a new discounted membership rate for single parent families so that more people can avail of council leisure centres and swimming pools at a reduced cost. I’m pleased that this has been passed by Council and will now be implemented.
“With many families under financial pressure, it’s more important than ever that we try to reduce the impact of this where possible, and help support people to enjoy the benefits that exercise can provide for both physical and mental health without it being cost-prohibitive.”
Last May, hundreds of children were charged for a card which enables them to get discounted access to Belfast council leisure services, despite such cards being advertised as free. The card management is operated by Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) which runs 16 facilities under the Better brand for Belfast City Council.
Cllr McKeown said the issue of single-parent families being charged the same as families with two parents is another example of families being hit in the pocket. He has urged vigilance to avoid such issues arising again.
He said: “Last year I discovered that the council’s leisure partner GLL had been charging people for Junior Pay and Play cards, despite the fact that they are supposed to be free. These cards enable children living in Belfast to access discounts of up to 30% off leisure activities. This got sorted, but it’s another example of families being hit in the pocket when they should be supported, so it’s important that we remain vigilant to try to avoid issues like this arising again.”
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