'Record breaking start' for Leighton Leisure and Community Centre
It's been a "record-breaking start" for Leighton Leisure and Community Centre, as the council celebrates a surge in memberships and attendance.
The new facility opened in June, attracting an additional 2,012 fitness members – with it believed to be one of the area's "most popular" leisure destinations.
Fitness membership has grown by 57 per cent, making it one of the council's largest fitness membership bases. Meanwhile, swimming lesson memberships have also risen steadily, growing from 1,546 to 1,735 over the same period.
Central Bedfordshire councillor Steve Watkins, executive member for assets, business and housing, said: "We are delighted by the fantastic response.
"Attracting more than 2,300 fitness members in just a few months demonstrates the strong demand for high-quality leisure facilities in the area.
"These impressive figures highlight the positive impact the new centre is already having on our communities, helping more people to be active, improve their wellbeing and take advantage of the wide range of facilities on offer."
The centre has seen a "significant increase" in usage, with monthly visits rising from around 31,000 at the previous facility to more than 57,000 in July and 56,000 in August.
This represents over 25,000 additional visits each month and an increase in attendance of 83 per cent in July, and 81 per cent in August - compared with levels before the new centre opened.
Swimming has proved particularly popular, with attendance reaching 28,774 visits in August, while gym attendance exceeded 18,000 visits in July and August.
Group exercise classes have also attracted thousands of participants, highlighting the growing popularity of the new centre among residents of all ages.
Gary Foley, Everyone Active’s contract manager, said: “We are incredibly proud to operate this centre on behalf of Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) and it’s great to see how popular it has proved. I would like to congratulate the site team on their efforts so far.
“I would encourage local people to come down and enjoy the state-of-the-art facility on their doorstep. No matter what your age, interests or ability, there is an activity for you.”
The council expects swimming lesson memberships and overall usage to continue growing as families return to regular school-term routines, and as the centre further develops its range of facilities and activities.