Somerset Council steps in as Fusion collapses

By Laura Linham 2nd Apr 2026

Local News by Laura Linham 2nd Apr 2026

Somerset Council has stepped in to keep leisure services running in Wells, Street, Glastonbury and Shepton Mallet after operator Fusion Lifestyle entered administration on Wednesday, 1 April 2026.

The council said it is business as usual for gym and swimming facilities in Wells, Glastonbury, Street and Frome for the next three months while a new operator is lined up. Shepton Mallet Lido is still expected to open in May as usual.

The move has thrown the longer-term future of several east Somerset leisure sites into fresh uncertainty. Fusion runs Wells Fitness Centre and Pool, Tor Fitness Centre in Glastonbury, Strode Swimming and Fitness Centre in Street, Frome Leisure Centre and Shepton Mallet Lido.

Somerset Council said professional services company S&W was appointed from 1 April to run Fusion on a temporary basis for three months. It said the decision was taken because the centres are vital for schools and the public, and because health and wellbeing services needed to keep running without disruption.

Fusion said administration allows the charity to continue trading while joint administrators Nadeem Sweiss and Adam Stephens work to secure a new operator. The charity said memberships remain active, classes and swimming lessons are continuing, prepaid bookings will be honoured and new bookings can still be made as normal.

Customers are now being urged to keep using their local gym or pool and to maintain memberships. Somerset Council said those memberships will continue into any new contract period with an alternative operator.

The administrator has also met Fusion staff at the affected sites and said the aim is for most employees to transfer to any new operator. That will come as a relief to communities in Wells, Street, Glastonbury and Shepton Mallet, where the centres are heavily used by residents, clubs and schools.

Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts, Somerset Council's lead member for communities, housing revenue account, culture and equalities, said getting another operator in place is the authority's "number one priority". She said the council had taken swift action to ensure services continue to run as normal and that it hopes for a seamless transition into a new contract.

Fusion said it had been hit by "sustained financial pressures" caused by rising operating costs, reduced government funding and post-pandemic recovery challenges. The charity said it had made significant attempts to secure fresh funding, but those efforts were unsuccessful.