Local leisure centres in Havering are set to reopen.

Local leisure centres in Havering are set to reopen, after being given the ‘green light’ by Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. 

Central Park Leisure Centre, Hornchurch Sports Centre, and Sapphire Ice and Leisure which are managed by sports and leisure operator Everyone Active in partnership with Havering Council will reopen their doors on Saturday 25th. The news comes after the facilities were forced to close for almost four months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The swimming pool facilities at these centres will be opening shortly after and all customers will be communicated to directly regarding the details for reopening.

Everyone Active and Havering Council are also in ongoing discussions regarding the reopening of Noak Hill Sports Complex. The team hopes to be able to confirm a date for this soon and customers will be notified as soon as this is agreed. 

The Government update on 9 July confirmed leisure centres are now safe to reopen facilities, with strict operational measures in place. Everyone Active procedures will ensure social distancing is managed throughout the centres and regular cleaning is maintained. Full detail of the operator’s measures can be found here.

Whilst its 200 leisure centres across the country have been closed, Everyone Active launched a comprehensive package of online workouts for people to do whilst on lockdown, along with streaming live classes across its social media pages. It also pledged to donate half the cost of a membership to charity – The National Emergencies Trust – if customers continued to pay. Consequently, the operator raised over £400k for those most in need during the pandemic. 

Tom Fletcher, Everyone Active’s area contract manager, said: “We’re very much looking forward to reopening the centres and welcoming back the local community. After being closed for nearly four months, this latest announcement from Government is the news the leisure industry has been eagerly awaiting. Giving people the opportunity to resume activity and exercise in their leisure centre will go a long way to maintaining the good health of local communities.

“We’ve been overwhelmed with the support we have received from customers during these unprecedented times, and we’re so grateful. Like many other industries, leisure has been greatly affected by the lockdown.

“Ensuring our colleagues and customers remain safe is our number one priority and we have carefully considered the strict measurements to ensure we adhere to the guidance. We will be contacting all customers directly over the coming days regarding the centres reopening. We look forward to welcoming everyone back and thanking them for their patience.”

Councillor Damian White, Leader of Havering Council, added: “This is wonderful news for Havering residents. These centres are very popular with the community, and we are committed to providing the facilities residents need to live healthy lives – something that is more important than ever.

“I’d like to thank Everyone Active, who have worked to ensure centres are Covid-secure and safe for customers to use.”

“This is another step in our recovery from the impact of Covid-19. I would like to once again thank everybody for their patience and continued commitment to following the rules and helping us come out of lockdown safely and sensibly together.”

For further information on Everyone Active and its leisure centres, visit www.everyoneactive.com.