Cash ban lifted for Kettering leisure users as coins and notes back

Kettering area council-owned leisure facilities will be able to accept cash payments again from customers wanting a dip or a work-out.

After gyms, sports halls and swimming pools were allowed to reopen after lockdown restrictions finished last July, people were excluded from paying with cash.

Last week one Kettering mum gave her 12-year-old son the money to go to Kettering's swimming pool, only for their cash to be refused.

Taking to social media she said: "My nearly 13- year-old son and his friend had gone to the swimming pool today. They only had cash on them and got told by the pool that they only take card payment."

Luckily a 'kind man' paid on his bank card for the friends to enjoy their swim.

The mum added of the kind customer: "It’s such a lovely and kind thing to do and the boys were so pleased and grateful, so I hope you see this and thank you very much again."

Another swimming pool customer caught without their card couldn't buy a swimming hat for her daughter's lesson even though she had a £1 coin in her pocket. Her daughter had to miss the session.

Leisure facilities in other parts of north Northants have continued to take cash throughout the pandemic - and now Kettering's facilities will accept coins and notes again.

A spokesman for North Northamptonshire Council, said: “We have been made aware that our leisure providers in Kettering have moved to cashless payments in a bid to increase Covid safety. This started when leisure facilities opened again to the public in July last year.

“Going forward, leisure facilities in Kettering will now accept cash payments but will continue to promote contactless payments where possible in line with their Covid risk assessments.”