So Much More Than A Leisure Centre!
Padiham Leisure Centre is a gem in the heart of Padiham. Part of the impressive Burnley Leisure & Culture Group that manages leisure facilities including a golf course, sports village, pitch and putt, a theatre and numerous bistros, the centre provides an invaluable service to the community, writes Meena McDonald
Since its opening 50 years ago, Padiham Leisure Centre boasts a new gym, revamped swimming pool, new indoor cycling facilities and a refurbished dance studio. To complement these, a stunning new sauna and health suite will soon be opening.
The gym is popular and the classes are a huge success with 108 being run across the centre and its sister site St Peter’s Leisure Centre. The most popular being the Les Mills classes including Bodypump, Bodycombat and Bodybalance and the Indoor Cycling Group (ICG).
Operations Manager, Sarah Drinkwater, is committed to making the leisure facilities accessible to everyone, commenting: “We believe it is essential to listen to make the centre a place for everyone in the community, including children, disabled people and those with special needs. To achieve this, we have set up our weekly Alternative Fitness sessions, which allows learning disabled individuals to both dance and swim. The uptake has been fantastic with over 30 people attending.”
The pool runs everything from lessons, adult and family swims and diving clubs. One class which has proven tremendously successful is Water Fitness, a class for absolutely everyone irrespective of size, age and ability.
The team is also keen to support pregnant ladies and mothers with babies to ensure they retain their strength and fitness and as a result, they are now running a Buggy Bootcamp which includes interactive play for children, nursery rhymes, yoga and healthy refreshments.
The centre’s outreach to the community is astounding and this was clearly demonstrated during lockdown.
Where most other leisure facilities throughout the UK closed, Burnley Leisure and Culture Group ran their full timetable on Zoom throughout the whole of lockdown, setting up a music suite to provide a full studio experience and even had participants from the USA and Australia! They also ran PE sessions for children and schools across Burnley were delighted with the support provided.
The committed team also helped with foodbanks during lockdown and helped out at Covid test sites and vaccination centres, teaching people across the region how to carry out lateral flow tests helping keep the community safe.
One of the centre’s proudest moments was supporting Ye Ole Padiham who were not able to carry out their annual parade to celebrate VE Day due to Covid. Instead, Sarah’s inspirational team worked with the community to source photos, seeking permission from family members and produced an incredibly moving video of local heroes.
Sarah concluded: “We want to show everyone that there are no barriers to exercise and that there are always alternatives. We support all of our members to build their confidence and fitness and encourage them to challenge themselves.”
National Fitness Week
Burnley Leisure & Culture Group – 22nd September 2021
Full class sessions
Full health checks
Hospitality
Smoothie making and food tasting
Membership advisors
Fitness support
Pre & post-natal fitness
Les Mills Showcase – 19th October 2021
Master trainer showcasing a new element to the Les Mills fitness programme
Club ride with a DJ – 27th November 2021
Padiham Leisure Centre
Park Road, Padiham, Burnley BB12 8ED
01282 477222
leisure@burnleyleisure.co.uk
