Buyer found for company which let out borough school facilities

SLS rented out facilities to sports and community groups at more than half a dozen colleges and schools in the borough, including Winstanley College, Standish Community High School and St Peter's Catholic High School in Orrell.

The company reported a turnover of some £13m in 2019 while employing more than 900 members of staff and holding contracts at hundreds of education sites across the country.

However, the Manchester-based firm collapsed at the start of August when bosses said the uncertainty over resuming business and the furlough scheme ending in October, coupled with a lack of coronavirus support money from the Government, made it impossible to see a way ahead.

Now, though, CommunityHire has stepped in to purchase the company.

Managing director Sean Mallon said: "The acquisition of SLS is an exciting opportunity for CommunityHire. It will provide us with further resources to support our growth plans and further affirms CommunityHire’s position as a market leader in local facility lettings.

"CommunityHire works to provide a localised, highly-focused service level based on true relationships, but with the corporate structure needed to ensure continuity and consistency of service.

"Community is at the heart of what CommunityHire is about. We want to bring people together post Covid-19 and re-ignite the community spirit and know that acquiring SLS’s legacy and assets will allow us to do this, with local facilities ran by local people."