Keep fit fans flock to Ashfield leisure centres as lockdown measures ease

Lammas Leisure Centre, Hucknall Leisure Centre and Kirkby’s Festival Hall Leisure Centre – run by Everyone Active in partnership with Ashfield District Council – have welcomed back customers in their droves as they opened their doors for the first time in more than three months.

In the latest stage of the Government’s four-step roadmap, centres were allowed to reopen with strict operational measures in place – including rigorous cleaning regimes and timed activity sessions.

And numbers through the doors show members have been keen to get active.

No fewer than 4,390 people used the gyms at Lammas Leisure Centre, Hucknall Leisure Centre and Festival Hall Leisure Centre in the first week after reopening – a 140 per cent increase on the 1,830 that did the same in the week after the first lockdown.

Lane swimming at Lammas and Hucknall was up from 646 to 1,782 across the same time period – a 176 per cent increase – while 2,024 people attended swimming lessons at those sites post-lockdown three.

Ice skating at Lammas attracted 128 users, more than five times the figure that attended in the week following lockdown one.

Lorenzo Clark, contract manager at Everyone Active, said: “We’re so pleased to see so many new and returning members using our centres following our reopening.

“We’ve had an overwhelmingly positive response from customers, who are delighted to be able to exercise in an indoor, Covid-safe environment once more.

"We will continue to ensure the safety of customers and colleagues by meeting and exceeding Government guidance and look forward to welcoming more members of the community soon.”

Theresa Hodgkinson, director of place and communities at the council, echoed those sentiments, saying: “We know how many people value sports and fitness as an important part of their lives and the amount of people that have used our leisure centres is testament to that. It is fantastic to see so many residents enjoying exercising safely again.

“However, we understand that Covid-19 has not disappeared and we must therefore be vigilant and follow the rules in place.

“We will continue to work with Everyone Active to ensure customers feel safe when visiting our sites in Kirkby, Sutton and Hucknall.”

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