The MP for Wells and Mendip Hills has launched a campaign to safeguard the future of key local leisure centres after their operator went into administration.

Tessa Munt is calling for a long-term solution to keep Wells Leisure Centre and Shepton Mallet Lido running after Fusion Lifestyle entered administration on Wednesday, 1 April 2026.

Somerset Council has stepped in to run the sites in the short term, along with facilities in Glastonbury, Street and Frome, to ensure services continue without disruption.

Ms Munt said the centres are vital to local communities and must be protected.

"These facilities are important assets and employers in our communities, and I am pleased that Somerset Council has stepped in to provide vital short-term support," she said.

"It is incredibly important that a solution is found to ensure they continue to serve future generations of residents."

She added she is working with Sarah Dyke, MP for Glastonbury and Somerton, and Anna Sabine, MP for Frome and East Somerset, to find a way forward.

Residents across Wells and the Mendip Hills are being invited to share their views on the future of the sites by contacting Ms Munt directly.

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Somerset Council has confirmed it will keep services running for at least three months while a new operator is sought. It said gym sessions, swimming lessons and memberships will continue as normal during this period.

Shepton Mallet Lido is also expected to open as usual in May.

Fusion Lifestyle, a charity, said it had been hit by sustained financial pressures, including rising costs, reduced government funding and ongoing post-pandemic challenges.

Administrators have said the aim is to secure a new operator and that most staff are expected to transfer over, while memberships and bookings remain valid.

Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts said securing a replacement operator is the council's "number one priority", adding that swift action had been taken to protect services used by schools, clubs and residents across east Somerset.

The longer-term future of the leisure centres remains uncertain while efforts continue to find a sustainable solution.