Membership numbers across the Isle of Wight Council’s leisure centres have bounced back to exceed pre-COVID levels. One Card subscriptions have soared to around 7,500 with 1Leisure facilities attracting some 750,000 visits in the 12 months up to March 2024. Of those 7,500 members, almost 900 are young people aged between 16 and 25, and more than 730 are aged under 16 — all getting active with the help of classes and facilities at Medina Leisure Centre in Newport, Westridge in Ryde and The Heights in Sandown. Membership numbers had declined to about 4,350 during the pandemic when leisure centres and swimming pools closed their doors as the country went into a series of lockdowns. During the closures leisure staff worked in the community to support the COVID response. Despite the significant recovery in both income and membership numbers which continue to climb, the cost of running the leisure centres has risen dramatically since the pandemic. Increases in utility costs — of around 500% for gas and 300% for electricity — have had a considerable impact on the leisure service, as previously reported by Island Echo. This is being helped by recent work to reduce carbon emissions and utility consumption with the installation of solar panels, LED lighting, air-source heat pumps, and high-efficiency circulation pumps as part of a £1.2million council investment in its leisure centres. The solar energy produced from hundreds of solar panels on the roof of Medina Leisure Centre is also charging the council’s fleet of electric cars as well as helping to heat both swimming pools. Councillor Julie Jones-Evans, Cabinet member for leisure services, has said:
“Public sport and leisure services aim to reach everyone in our community, young and old, disabled residents, and those seeking support in elite sports. “The provision of leisure services and our investment in these hugely-popular facilities underlines our commitment to support the Island’s community through our valued services, helping residents to improve physical and mental health and wellbeing. “The Mental Health Foundation expound the view that “we need to change how we view physical activity in the UK to not see it as something we ‘have to do’, ‘should do’ or ‘ought to do’ for our health, but as something that we do because we value its positive benefits to our wellbeing”. “We also know that physical activity in childhood strengthens bones, increases muscle mass and also impacts on psychological wellbeing, so it’s great to see so many young people regularly using our leisure facilities. “Looking ahead we are excited about the opportunities that we are able to offer Island residents and hope to see more people using these amazing leisure facilities.”
Jo Jefferies, the council’s associate director of Public Health, adds:
“Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. “Being physically active can improve your mental wellbeing, help manage weight, strengthen your bones and muscles, reduce the risk of disease, including diabetes, heart disease and some cancers, and improve your ability to do everyday activities.”
It is little use having more members who don’t pay.
All those on tax credits or now universal credit don’t pay to attend. Neither do those on PiP , so the rest of us have to fund these freeloading increases in bodies but not wallets attending.
Make everyone pay towards this as they get a lot of money for doing little work or none at all.
PIP is a joke. We have more disabled or mentally ill people than normal people. When i was a school you would have 2 or 3 kids with issues in the entire school, now you see that per class!!
And they want to increase prices for members
Lol
No concessions for senior members not even sure about the disabled? they should be encouraged to stay fit, which many would do but its still too expensive to go regularly plus parking charges and the one card membership is too expensive if you don’t use it frequently.
Exercise should be encouraged not price blocked.
As usual people on benefits get concessions!!!
Parking is free if you have a membership