I’M not surprised that The Sands Centre in Carlisle has allegedly ‘lost’ so much money, especially if its run anything like The Pools are (The Cumberland News, April 7).

You quote Mr Tom Rice, partnership manager for GLL, as saying: “We’re very keen to refocus and put the customer [my italics] at the heart of everything we do”.

Why are they only just proposing to do this now? Surely they should always have been doing it?

GLL have made it impossible for some members of the public to make use of the facilities that they manage on our behalf. The Sands and The Pools belong to the taxpayers of Carlisle City Council, the majority of its customers.

I take my granddaughter to the The Pools for swimming lessons every week. Three times in the last six months I’ve had to provide my bank details to them because their computer system can’t remember them.

Two teenage girls turned up one day while I was there, ready with costumes and money in hand, and were told they could not have a swim.

They needed to download an app to a smart phone, create an account, book a swimming session, which is only for 50 minutes nowadays, and pay online.

Oh, and having looked to try and get a session you need to plan at least a week in advance! No longer can you turn up, or phone them, unless you want to speak to somebody in London who has no idea where Carlisle is, nor can you pay with cash when you turn up!

Like many people I only have a limited amount of disposable income. I prefer to hold it in cash so that I know how much is left and don’t get overdrawn at the bank. I don’t use online banking.

Those of us on fixed incomes now have even less disposable income so work even harder to enjoy what little leisure time they can afford.

There are lots of events that I’d like to go to at The Sands but I can’t afford them and there is no point in booking months in advance as I may not be able to go and then I’d lose money that I can ill afford.

I did once find I was free one day and went to the reception desk shortly before a concert started to ask if there were any tickets available. Luckily there were.

I could not afford to pay the full price and asked if they would sell me one at a discount, £5 less than full price, but they said no. Well they lost what little money I could have afforded to give them.

My local supermarket knows that something is better than nothing so they reduce the price of goods reaching their use by or best before dates.

It must be hard for artists to walk out onto the stage and see lots of empty seats, which could have been filled at a reduced price, this would actually make more money for the venue!

So if GLL are going to put the customer at the heart of everything they do, why don’t they start and make it easier for us to use the facilities?

Oh, and while I have their attention, will the NEW pools be open at ALL times that The Sands Centre is and will there be free parking? There is of course no public transport that stops anywhere near The Sands. Who planned that one?

Philip T Tuer,
Carlton Gardens, Carlisle