The £33.9 million Bedfordshire leisure centre was officially declared open on Saturday, 27 June, by British Olympic athlete Colin Jackson CBE and Paralympic swimming champions Maisie Summers-Newton MBE and Olivia Newman-Baronius.
More than 3500 residents attended the Family Fun Day on Saturday, being amongst the first to experience the new centre. Visitors enjoyed free activities, tours, demonstrations and family entertainment, as well as the opportunity to meet the sporting stars.
The new centre replaces Tiddenfoot Leisure Centre and offers a range of modern fitness, leisure and community facilities, including:
- An eight-lane, 25-metre swimming pool
- A learner pool with movable floor and a dedicated splash pool
- A 150-station gym with Technogym equipment
- Group exercise, cycling and Reformer studios
- Two squash courts
- Wellness facilities, including hydromassage beds
- Three treatment rooms available for hire
- Community rooms and meeting spaces
- A public café
- Two fully accessible Changing Places facilities
Comments
Councillor Steven Watkins, executive member for assets, business and housing, said:
“We are proud to officially open our fifth new leisure centre, demonstrating our long-term commitment to improving opportunity and quality of life across our communities.
“The facilities here are outstanding, with something for everyone, whether you’re getting active, trying something new or simply coming along to enjoy the space.
“With its range of leisure and community facilities, we hope it will become a real hub for local people and be enjoyed for many years to come.
Gary Foley, contract manager at Everyone Active, said:
“It was fantastic to see so many people come along over the weekend to celebrate the opening of this brilliant new centre. There was a real buzz on the day, from families trying out activities to meeting our Olympic and Paralympic guests, it really felt like a special moment for the community.
The launch was an amazing opportunity for people to experience activities for free and get a taste of what the centre has to offer. We were so privileged to have GB stars Colin Jackson, Maisie Summers-Newton and Olivia Newman-Baronius attending, and they really enjoyed meeting the public and getting involved.
It was a really memorable day, and it was great to see so many people coming down to join in the celebrations.”
Image 1: M J Richardson CC-BY-SA 2.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=leighton+buzzard&title=Special%3AMediaSearch&type=image (image cropped to fit website format)
Image 2 : centralbedfordshire.gov.uk
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