Mansfield District Leisure Trust, which operates four centres in the region on behalf of Mansfield District Council, has announced a positive start to the new era for the industry, with strong demand for both health and fitness memberships and swimming lesson sessions for kids.

Andrew Smith, contract manager for the trust, said: “April 12^th marked the rebirth of the leisure sector, providing us with an amazing opportunity to re-energise the local community, promote active lifestyles and get Mansfield moving again. And I’m happy to say, our marketing and sales teams have played a blinder, helping us hit numbers way up on a typical April.

“We’ve added over 240 new members across our centres since the 12^th. With parents eager to get kids back into the pool learning a key life skill, our swimming lesson numbers have been equally as impressive with over 250 new sign ups added since reopening.

“Although we’re now open indoors, we’ve been running successful outdoor sessions since March 29^th at Oak Tree Leisure Centre, while offering free virtual workout classes since summer 2020. These have both proven popular with attendance numbers averaging out at around 30 people a session. We’ll be continuing to offer this option to people, as even when it snowed earlier this month we had people attending the outdoor workouts!

“Forgetting the fun for a moment, it’s important to restate our commitment as a trust to providing clean, safe facilities, always adhering to strict social distancing guidelines and ensuring customers and colleagues feel reassured when they’re at our centres. The customer survey we put out after lockdown 1 came back with over 95% of customers saying they felt safe in our facilities, which is testament to the hard work we’ve put in to be COVID-compliant and COVID-safe.

“Since reopening, we’re seeing so much positivity on social media, with customers clearly delighted to be back. We’re now looking ahead to May half-term, when we’ll be reopening the Leisure Pool at Water Meadows, welcoming back kids and parents into this much missed part of the centre.”

David Evans, head of health and communities at Mansfield District Council, said: “We are delighted to welcome back our existing customers alongside such a high number of new customers. We know how important these facilities are to our communities and many people have missed the key role they play in improving both physical health and mental wellbeing.

“Thank you to everyone who has worked hard to ensure our centres reopened in the safest way possible and thank you to customers for following the additional measures that are in place to ensure everyone’s safety. We look forward to more activities becoming available as we progress through the Government’s roadmap and restrictions ease further.”

Mansfield District Leisure Trust manages the Oak Tree Leisure Centre, Rebecca Adlington Swimming Centre, Water Meadows Fitness and Swimming Complex, and River Maun Recreation Centre on behalf of Mansfield District Council.