The Trustees and staff at Chanctonbury Leisure Centre have been announced as the first ‘Community Champions’ by Andrew Griffith.
Andrew visited the leisure centre in Storrington on Friday (28 October) to present them with his new award of recognition after reading their Community Impact Report 2022. The report highlights how the charity has welcomed back residents through a wide range of classes and activities aimed at every age group.
The leisure centre was closed in August 2020 when the former managing company went into liquidation. It was with the support of Storrington & Sullington Parish Council, West Chiltington, Washington and Thakeham Parish Councils, Horsham District Council and local engineering business Tesla, that a charity could be established to re-open the centre as a health hub for all.
Andrew met with Phil Pickard, Chair of Trustees for the charity, and Andrew Dunstan, Operations Director, to tour the facilities which includes two sports halls, a large well-equipped modern gym, a café, and a floodlit 3G sports pitch. It has been their goal to provide first-class facilities to support a healthy community.
In the last 12 months since re-opening, the leisure centre has welcomed over 1,000 annual members and hundreds more visitors who regularly use the facilities to improve their health and wellbeing. The centre goes much further into local communities by creating a programme to encourage better health for all.
Classes include Gentle Fit and yoga, to circuit training and Zumba. The café lounge area hosts a Nostalgia Café for those living with dementia and their carers, and the sports hall is open for a visiting roller disco. Alongside the regular weekly activities, the centre also hosts a number of sports clubs including Brighton & Hove Albion’s powerchair football for the disabled – one team which competes in the top division of a national league.
The leisure centre is proud to have provided work and training opportunities for four young people through the Government’s Kickstarts scheme.
Andrew said:
“It was great to meet the team at Chanctonbury Leisure Centre. Their Community Impact Report highlights how their wide-ranging programme has a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of a whole community from children through to seniors.
“They are so deserving of being recognised as ‘Community Champions’. They have truly gone above and beyond, putting their community first. My thanks especially to Andrew Dunstan and Phil Pickard who are doing so much to ensure that the leisure centre continues to thrive.”
If you would like to nominate a person, group or organistion to recieve a Community Champion Award, please email Andrew [email protected].
