8:10am Friday 3rd July 2009
A PHARMACEUTICAL company is withdrawing its funding for a sports and social club.
GlaxoSmithKline sold Acacia Hall and its 30 acre grounds to Dartford Council as part of a £4.1m deal in 2005, but continued to subsidise facilities for the benefit of its former and existing employees who used the centre.
Now the drugs giant is ending its contractual agreement with the council, in light of its plan to close its manufacturing site in Dartford by the end of 2012.
The Grade II listed Acacia Hall, run by the council, provides sports and social facilities including tennis and squash courts and a bowling club.
It is estimated approximately 350 former or current GSK staff use the venue.
Dartford Council leader Jeremy Kite is hopeful an alternative deal can be struck with GSK.
He said: "It's a subtantial sum.
“We will be making further contact with GSK to see what proposals they have to continue providing services.
“I’m hopeful we can have a good discussion with GSK, they are a wealthy company, we might be able to find a pocket of money somewhere.
“These are clearly worrying days for GSK staff and former staff, we want to see them treated properly.”
He added: “The bowlers’ club and tennis courts would not survive without the GSK subsidy.
“It’s a worrying situation because members have been used to having these facilities for a long time, and it would be a shock to lose them."
A GSK spokeswoman said: “Within the agreement was a clause that GSK could withdraw from this funding with three months notice.
“With the announcement of our site closure, our situation has clearly changed and that, together with the fact that there is very little usage by our own staff of the club's facilities, we made the decision to give notice of withdrawal of our funding - indeed, we gave Dartford Council more than the three month's notice required.”
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