More leisure banks in progress in Sörmland

Around the country there are already 91 so-called leisure banks. A lending concept where people of all ages who want to get involved free of charge can borrow used sports equipment of most kinds for 14 days. Skates, football shoes, hiking poles or ski boots are popular items.

First to join the non-profit organization in Sörmland was Nyköping, which opened its operations in 2015. Katrineholm, Eskilstuna and now Strängnäs have followed suit.

Both Flen and Vingåker have made political decisions to start lending operations as well. In Flen, it is a matter of finding the right place, and Vingåker made the decision to establish the business in 2020 as early as this month.

As more municipalities start up their own businesses, the effect is getting better, says Johannes Hedlund, coordinator of Sörmlandsidrotten.

- In Eskilstuna, for example, you are good at grinding skates and then the other municipalities can learn from their handling, he says.

Local sports associations see how the Fritidsbanken entails a recruitment area, where people are given the opportunity to try out a sport so that in the next stage they may resolve a membership.

Johannes Hedlund faces very little negative response to the concept, he says.

A year ago, Eskilstuna Municipality opened a leisure bank in the Munktell area and Linda Strandell, who owns the Sports House in Eskilstuna, which among other things rent ski, was initially worried that the municipality would compete with her business.

- But we have not noticed any decrease, she says.