A bingo hall in Carlisle is one of many facing closure, and 16 Cumbrian employees will potentially be affected.

Buzz Bingo has announced today that its Carlisle club is among nine of its 91 clubs facing closure due to the ongoing and challenging operating environment.

The closures will potentially impact 16 employees in the Carlisle club.

The potential club closures across the country would impact 151 of Buzz Bingo’s 2,456 employees in total.

Buzz Bingo said the challenges facing businesses in the leisure and hospitality sectors are well understood and, like many, it’s had to contend with a change in customer behaviour following the pandemic, alongside a loss in customer confidence due to the rising cost of living and threat of recession.

This fall in numbers, alongside increased energy and operational costs on-site, has meant the nine affected clubs are not financially viable anymore, Buzz Bingo said.

The management believes the proposed closures provide the best possible outcome for all of Buzz Bingo’s stakeholders as it looks to secure a sustainable and successful long-term future for the business and its remaining 2300 employees.

In addition to the Carlisle club, the Buzz Bingo hall in Dumfries is also set to close.

The other locations in which Buzz Bingo clubs are facing closures are Surrey Quays, Grantham, Slough, Belle Vue, Bromborough, Keighly, and Cumbernauld.

Dominic Mansour, chief executive of Buzz Bingo, said: “In common with the entire leisure and hospitality sector, Buzz Bingo has failed to see customers return to the high street in the same numbers as before the pandemic.

“This, coupled with a squeeze on family finances brought about by rising inflation and energy prices alongside a jump in our own operating costs means we have no real option other than to cease trading in nine of our locations.

“These closures will, very sadly, impact a number of our colleagues and so our priority is to support all those affected and to do everything we can to minimise job losses. 

“I personally want to thank them for their commitment and service to Buzz.

“Believe me, no one wants to make the call to close clubs.

“However, it is my belief that it’s these decisions that will allow us to restructure the business for long-term growth and to protect the livelihoods of our colleagues for the long run.”

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