£180,000 Sport England grant saves leisure centre

Amber Valley Borough Council has secured an £180,000 investment from Sport England to provide a lifeline for Belper Leisure Centre, which had been at risk of closure. The council successfully bid for grant support from Sport England’s Swimming Pool Support Fund (SPSF) after a private non-profit organisation, Trilogy Active Ltd, stepped in to prevent the imminent closure of Belper Leisure Centre.

Sport England approved the council’s application and allocated £180,930 towards the leisure centre’s revenue costs, which include things like utility bills and pool chemicals. It represents a significant cash injection for the privately run sports centre, which was facing a closure-threatening £360,000 deficit just a few months before Trilogy Active took over.

The £180,000 grant comes from Phase 1 of Sport England’s SPSF pot. The council is now applying for up to £1m in capital funding from Phase 2 of the scheme.