Björk ends contracts for all coaches aged 18 and over

Björk Gymnastics Club in Hafnarfjörður has terminated the employment contracts of all its coaches aged 18 and over, saying the decision is part of a wider debate about municipal funding for sports clubs. The club’s managing director, Hilmar Ingimundarson, told mbl.is the terminations take effect at the end of the year.

Ingimundarson said Björk receives less municipal funding per participant than other sports clubs in Hafnarfjörður, based on their financial statements. He said rising wage and operating costs, without a corresponding increase in municipal support, had created significant financial challenges.

“We already charge the highest training fees in town, but support from the municipality has not changed in a comparable way,” he said. He added that it would be fair for clubs to receive similar support based on the number of participants.

The terminations cover coaches aged 18 and over with employment contracts across all the club’s divisions. Assistant coaches under 18 are not included. The club has 13 full-time employees and 21 part-time employees, and one office position is being eliminated as part of organisational changes.

Alongside its gymnastics division, Björk runs climbing and taekwondo divisions. Ingimundarson said the club would continue its work but that, without increased support from Hafnarfjörður, its management would need to review operations to ensure they are sustainable.

He said discussions with the municipality about the future arrangement of services and its role in the club’s sports activities had been ongoing for some time but had not yet produced results. He hoped an agreement could be reached soon to avoid further disruption to the club’s work.