Dear Bulletin

One of the great perks of life at Sussex has to be access to the excellent facilities offered by the Sport Service. Members of the University community have until recently been doubly fortunate, in that the amenities in question have been very reasonably priced, thereby encouraging participation and, in some small way, compensating for the lack of buying power associated with working or studying in higher education. One is certain that this has in no small part contributed to the general sense of vitality and joie de vivre that one experiences on campus.

I was therefore saddened to discover that the Sport Service had recently introduced a massive price hike across the entire range of its services; in the case of hall booking, for example, by some 108 per cent. While I'm certain that the overall rates remain 'commercially' competitive, I am concerned that such an enormous and sudden change in pricing will impact most heavily on those least able to afford it and have a negative impact on the health of the University community as a whole.

Richard Tammar
Web Editor (and avid hockey player)

Karen Dunster, Head of Sport, replies:

We have received a lot of feedback from staff expressing dissatisfaction and disappointment about recent price increases.

It will continue to be our policy to keep rates as low as possible and to encourage staff and students to take part in exercise and sport. The Sport Service philosophy strongly supports the evidence that a healthy lifestyle and regular participation in activity are significant factors in maintaining a positive and healthy workforce. In an ideal world we would be embracing this and investing more rather than less.

However, we no longer have the budget to subsidise activities to the same extent as before and now receive less support from Estates for maintaining and refurbishing facilities. As a result we have spent all of our reserves on improving facilities: £200k on changing rooms, £15k on squash courts, £37k on tennis courts and £8k on decoration.

We have looked carefully at prices and introduced peak and off-peak schemes. All rates are still much cheaper than the commercial sector.

In short, as a service, we are as disappointed as most of our customers!