Hafnarfjörður offers Björk management advice after coach dismissals

The municipality of Hafnarfjörður has offered management advice to gymnastics club Björk after it dismissed all coaches aged 18 and over because of financial difficulties, mbl.is reported.

In a statement, the municipality said it was aware of the club’s tight financial position and that the dismissals had raised concerns among athletes, parents and staff. It said Björk’s work was important to many children and families in the town.

The municipality said its service agreement with Björk was comparable to agreements with other sports clubs in Hafnarfjörður. The funding is based on the number of participants, and the town owns the premises where the club operates.

Björk is the town’s third-largest sports club and the one attended by the largest number of girls, according to the statement. The municipality said it wanted to protect the club’s work with children and young people while its finances were reviewed, and had offered consultancy to help restore its financial viability.

The club’s executive director, Hilmar Ingimundarson, told mbl.is that the dismissals were part of a wider debate about municipal support for sports clubs. He said Björk received less funding per participant than other clubs in Hafnarfjörður, based on comparisons of their financial statements.

The municipality’s statement did not say whether it would provide additional funding in response to the club’s request for greater support.