MORE than 60 invited guests, including the Lord Mayor of Canterbury, Councillor Jean Butcher, came together to celebrate the official opening of Kingsmead Pools & Fitness in Canterbury, following a major transformation to bring a first-class health and wellbeing centre to the heart of the historic city.
The event coincided with a community open day which saw the centre packed with people enjoying a variety of free taster sessions including soft play, gym access and Intencity classes. Staff were on hand giving tours of the centre and to answer questions.
Thanks to an £8million investment by charity Active Life, Kingsmead Pools & Fitness now boasts a new gym, fantastic fitness studios, stunning health suite, changing facilities throughout, an extensively improved swimming pool and a new sports hall. A new café is coming soon.
Work began at the centre, formerly known as Kingsmead Leisure Centre, in March last year and it has undergone a significant transformation over the past 18 months to bring forward new premium facilities for all ages and abilities, with a strong emphasis on accessibility improvements and sustainability.
Anthony Cawley, chief executive of registered charity Active Life, said: “We have invested £8m invested in transforming the centre, and we’re delighted to be able to celebrate the opening after months of hard work. I think it is fair to say that Kingsmead is unrecognisable compared to what it was before.
“As a charity we always ask ourselves how we can best benefit the communities we serve and that’s what’s driven this project from the start, working closely with Canterbury City Council to do that. What we want to encourage and enable is a truly community-first centre, that’s welcoming and relevant, no matter what your fitness starting point is.”