£176,000 cash boost for East Northants Council to help leisure facilities recover

East Northants Council has been boosted by £176,000 to help leisure facilities in the area recover.

The authority (ENC) has been successful in an application to Sport England’s National Leisure Recovery Fund and has been awarded funds to support the council’s leisure partner, Freedom Leisure

The grant of £176,000 will be used by ENC as part of its continued support to Freedom Leisure and the recovery of leisure services in East Northants which have been impacted greatly by the coronavirus pandemic.

This will enable ENC’s leisure services to return to a position of sustainable operation in the medium term and will allow Freedom Leisure to be able to get back to providing a full range of activities and programmes as soon as restrictions are lifted contributing to residents of East Northants health and well-being and supporting engagement in physical activity.

Cllr Steven North, leader of ENC, said: “As a council, we have a duty and responsibility to support our leisure services through what has been a very difficult year and ensure residents can use all our facilities as soon as restrictions are lifted.

“This money will mean that our leisure centres are able to reopen promptly and safely, meaning residents of East Northamptonshire can be assured that they will be able to once again visit an ENC owned gym or go for a much-longed for swim in one of our pools.”

ENC also received £1,542 as part of a monitoring and evaluation grant, which will help build a richer and stronger insight into how the leisure sector is performing as it recovers from the impact of the pandemic.

To find out more about ENC owned leisure facilities, which includes Rushden's Splash Pool, the Pemberton Centre and the Nene Centre in Thrapston, visit www.freedom-leisure.co.uk.

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