The new 15-year contract has been awarded by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead to Leisure Focus Trust to run six leisure centres in the borough following a competitive procurement process and the launch of the council’s new Sport and Leisure Strategy this winter.
From April, it will include a rebrand and design of the gyms at Braywick, Furze Platt, Charters and Cox Green, with the addition of new sports facilities at Dedworth Middle School. An installation of a new soft play area, more studio spaces at Braywick, extended opening hours at Cox Green, and new Padel courts at Windsor will also be provided.
As a charity, the decision to award the contract to Leisure Focus Trust further means that any surplus raised by the company is put back into the facilities available to borough residents.
As part of the council’s commitment to support people to live healthy and independent lives, the Leisure Focus team will work closely with partners to support the health and wellbeing of the community, increase the number of users across all sites and enable more active lifestyles through a range of initiatives including discounted membership rates for under-represented groups.
Councillor Jack Douglas, Cabinet Member for Communities and Leisure at the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, said: “The new leisure contract is fantastic news for residents, because it goes further than ever before to improve inclusion and break down barriers to healthy living and having fun.
"We’re committed to helping our communities become more active and have been working hard with Leisure Focus to improve what is on offer for residents to enjoy. We’re excited about the wave of improvements that we will see across our centres thanks to this multi-year deal."
Mark Camp-Overy, Leisure Focus Chief Executive, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have been awarded the contract to act as the Royal Borough's leisure operating agent for an initial 15-year term. We look forward to making an even more positive impact within the community.
“Whilst we have managed the centres on a short-term basis, we’ve seen a significant increase in footfall across all areas and were overwhelmed by the positive feedback from the community on the improvements we have made so far, including the launch of the new Windsor Club Gym and Health Suite.
“In partnership with the council, we can now invest more into the facilities and have a range of exciting projects in the pipeline to enhance the customer experience for visitors at all six centres.”
Residents can find out more about sport and leisure in the Royal Borough on our website or learn more about their local leisure centre and membership at leisurefocus.org.uk/
