19 jobs go and more could be automated at city's Arena

'YEAR OF CONTRASTS' FEATURED CUTS - AND RECORD BOX OFFICE

- OLIVER PRIDMORE

MOTORPOINT Arena had to make 19 people redundant and could make more jobs automated.

Customers pouring their own pints is among the "flexibilities" envisaged by CEO Martin Ingham.

Mr Ingham said the last financial year had been one of "contrasts" for the council-owned arena, celebrating its 25th anniversary this week.

The arena, the region's largest pur-pose-built indoor entertainment venue, had to make 19 redundancies in a bid to turn around its finances over the past year.

But that coincided with a "record year" at the box office, partly thanks to six Peter Kay shows and Nottingham Forest's new netball fixtures.

Companies House documents show the business reported a profit after tax of £61,083 in the year up to March 31, 2024, compared with a £71,000 loss the previous year.

The accounts for the latest financial year, which ended on Monday, have not yet been published.

The venue, known as the Motorpoint Arena under a sponsorship agreement, is part of the city's National Ice Centre.

Opened in 2000, the centre was built to replace the old Nottingham Ice Stadium, which opened in 1939.