Bridge of Allan-based Castle View enjoys post-pandemic rebound but 'challenges' lie ahead

Castle View Corporate Holdings, the Bridge of Allan business with interests in sports centre management and food production, has seen a turnaround in its fortunes following a post-pandemic bounceback.

The group recorded a steep rise in turnover, to £246.3 million in the year to March 31, 2022. That compares with some £107.6m during the previous year, when many of the facilities at the company’s main subsidiary, Sports and Leisure Management Group (SLM), were closed due to Covid. In its most recent period, the group booked pre-tax profits of just under £14.8m, against a pre-tax loss of £12m previously.

Martin Bell, group managing director of CVCH, said: “The year started with all of SLM’s facilities closed as required by Covid restrictions, with the majority re-opening on April 12, 2021. From that point restrictions were gradually eased with further relaxation on May 15 and July 19. The business has since been in recovery mode with a focus on rebuilding membership numbers and customer usage levels, which were lost as a result of the disruption, and returning the business to profitability. Membership, usage and revenue levels are currently running around pre-Covid levels, which we consider very encouraging and a reflection of the efforts made by our team.

“The forthcoming year will bring new challenges as energy prices and the wider supply chain pose a significant cost to the business. However, the directors are confident that by ensuring expenditure is tightly controlled the company will continue to trade successfully for the foreseeable future,” he added.