Björk accepts consultancy after announcing senior coach dismissals

Hafnarfjörður will do everything it can to prevent a break in the activities of gymnastics club Björk, including providing operational advice, Mayor Þórður Þórarinsson told Morgunblaðið.

The club announced on Monday that financial difficulties had led it to terminate the employment contracts of all coaches aged 18 and older. The dismissals will take effect at the end of the year.

The municipality has been concerned about Björk’s finances for some time and has provided support, advice and financial assistance, Þórður said. But he said further funding alone would not restore the club’s financial viability.

Björk has accepted the municipality’s offer of an operational review to assess its position and help it regain control of its finances. Work began last week, and Þórður hopes findings and proposals for improvements will be ready soon.

Hundreds of children and young people train at Björk, one of Hafnarfjörður’s larger sports clubs. Þórður said the municipality understood that the coach dismissals would worry athletes, parents, staff and supporters, and would do what it could to keep the club’s activities running.