The bankruptcy of the Social Leisure Foundation is causing a lot of unrest: parents who have paid in advance are wondering, for example, whether their child can still swim. The municipality cannot say much about this yet, but according to councilor Nicky Stammis (VVD), the closure of the Duikerdel swimming pool, the Binding theater and the sports halls is probably temporary. “The buildings are owned by the municipality.”
The board of the Social Leisure Foundation (SSL) filed for bankruptcy earlier this weekend. The club manages various sports facilities and activities in the municipality of Langedijk, including: theater de Binding and the one that was renovated this summer swimming pool Duikerdel.
The judge still has to officially declare the foundation bankrupt, which is on the agenda tomorrow, and then a curator will be appointed. “That determines the further handling of the bankruptcy,” responds the spokesperson for councilor John Does.
Due to the municipal merger, SSL, like Heerhugowaard Sport NV, would merge into the new Dijk en Waard Sport BV next year. But despite discussions about this with all parties, the merger was not successful.
No clarity given
According to Councilor Does, there were too many uncertainties to reach an agreement. For example, SSL did not provide clarity about the financial situation and the number of employees. “We hope that all facilities can remain open and continue to operate. We are working hard to see what we can do as a municipality.”
It is not yet clear what the bankruptcy means for all SSL employees. The municipality wants the operation of the accommodations and all staff to ultimately be taken over by Dijk en Waard Sport BV.
“It is an alarming situation, but the end is certainly not near yet,” explains councilor Nicky Stammis (VVD). “It was already the intention to transfer the operation and take the current staff with it. For now we have to wait for the curator. As a municipality, we must in any case ensure that residents are inconvenienced as little as possible.”
Accommodate parents
Parents who have just transferred a significant amount for a ‘swimming package ABC’ would also like to know whether the lessons will continue at another location, or whether they will get their money back. “We have submitted a request to councilor Does to compensate parents who have paid in advance,” said VVD councilor Stammis.