Council’s bill shock for soccer club (From Bury Times)

Council’s bill shock for soccer club

3:40pm Friday 2nd October 2009 in Search Module

WHEN youngsters gave up their Saturday to pack customers’ bags at Sainsbury’s in Heaton Park last month, they were all smiles.

For they raised £886 towards a £47,000 clubhouse for Unsworth Junior Football Club at Hillock Playing Fields in Whitefield — or so they thought.

However, club volunteers have now had to break it to them that their hard-earned cash may have to pay a shock bill from Bury Council instead.

Last week, the Guide revealed the council has abolished free water-safety checks for 29 volunteer-run centres across the borough. Centres that do not have the checks, for fatal conditions like legionnaires disease, cannot legally stay open.

Council bosses wrote to the football club’s chairman, Colin Macklin, on August 19 demanding he pay £583.52 by September 2. A second letter, dated September 23, threatened the club with legal action if it did not pay.

The club has 16 teams and more than 200 players aged from five to 18. Under 14s manager, Denise Middleton, aged 43, said: “We have an annual budget, but money isn’t just floating about and we can’t get it at the drop of a hat. The children did a bag pack at Sainsbury’s at the weekend and, if we are made to pay this bill, we will have to use that. If that’s not unfair, I don’t know what is.”

Mrs Middleton is to meet council bosses tomorrow about the bill.

She added: “If the council had told us six months ago then you can at least try to find the money, but they wanted it within three weeks. ”

Bury Council leader, Cllr Bob Bibby said: “These self-managed centres cannot have everything their own way.

“If they want to self-manage their affairs, that includes taking on board financial commitments. It is up to them to put money aside for things like this, even if the notice period is short.

“However, I will look at this issue and see if I can help.”