Whitworth Leisure Centre CIC aiming to raise £20,000 to reopen swimming pool and gym

A small group of Whitworth residents have formed a new Community Interest Company which has taken over the running of Whitworth Leisure Centre – and are aiming to raise £20,000 to reopen the venue.

The Whitworth Leisure Centre Community Interest Company (WLC CIC) is made up of 12 members – Kim Blezard, Chris Rothwell, Ivana Bailey, Ruth Hempsall-Jones, Amber Roscoe, Craig Dixon, Kim Blackshaw, Kirstie Healey, Elaine Edyvean and Tom Law – who all live in Whitworth.

All have been involved in the leisure centre over the years, either as a previous employee, Whitworth Swimming Club volunteer or former user of the facility.

Whitworth Leisure Centre was closed in July 2023 by Rossendale Borough Council, after independent advisers Grant Thornton which said immediate action was needed to address a budget deficit, or both the borough council and Rossendale Leisure Trust could be at significant financial risk.

However, the closure sparked a backlash and local residents began campaigning to find ways to keep the centre open.

After months of working to save the centre, Rossendale Borough Council agreed to transfer the ownership to a new community company, Whitworth Leisure Centre CIC, in December 2023.
 

Read more: Whitworth Leisure Centre to be run by community interest companyPublished: 20 December 2023

Now the new CIC needs to raise around £20,000 to get it back up and running, with the group hoping to reopen the doors “as soon as possible.”

As part of a phased re-opening, the gym will be the first part to reopen, followed by the pool.

Tom Law, a former lifeguard and swimming teacher at the centre, explained: “This is going to be a phased re-opening with the gym opening first, hopefully this month, but this is dependent on fundraising efforts and our ability to complete some initial remediation works.

“Ideally, we’d be looking to reopen the pool in mid to late spring. Again, this is highly dependent on fundraising efforts, both from JustGiving and via government grants and funds.

“The £20k target on our JustGiving page will cover a lot of our initial start-up and ‘hidden’ costs; it will mainly cover items such as insurance and utility bills until we get people back through the door, uniforms and other costs of employment and materials for some remedial works.

“We have been very lucky so far with the generosity of local people, tradesmen and suppliers, many of whom have given up both time and materials to start our refurbishment.”

Alongside the CIC members, there has been “invaluable support” from numerous people including former CLAW (Community Leisure Association Whitworth) members Craig Brierley, Chris Rowan and Alan Billingsley; Jo Furtado (renowned for organising the Whitworth Skyline walk); and Whitworth Town Council.

CLAW ran the leisure centre from 2003 until 2019 after the leisure centre was closed for the first time in the early 2000s.

WLC CIC is also looking at ways to increase the number of people using the facility, including altering the entrance to form a community hub, better uses for the rear of the building and addressing concerns about opening hours.

Tom continued: “We have reconfigured the entrance to form a community hub from which people could work, hold meetings or just get in from the cold with a nice hot drink.

“We are exploring ways in which the space to the rear of the building can be better utilised, for example, as a space for children’s parties or events.

We are also looking at ways to address concerns users have previously had with opening hours, meaning they have had to use other facilities due to shift pattern.”

He added: “If any readers have any thoughts or ideas on how to increase the usage further, we’d be more than happy to hear them!

“We are always on the lookout for more volunteers so if any readers are unable to give cash to our fundraiser but may be able to donate their time then we are contactable via email or Facebook.”

Donations can be made via JustGiving:

• www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/whitworthleisurecentre

If you wish to volunteer, please contact Whitworth Leisure Centre CIC on whitworthleisurecentre2023@outlook.com or via Facebook (Whitworth Leisure Centre CIC).