Leisure strategy and health suite update

We are currently developing a brand new Leisure, Sport and Physical Activity Strategy for the borough.

The strategy will be the culmination of several workstreams that are enabling us to understand the role that leisure, sport and physical activity plays within the borough. These have included:

• Assessing the condition of our leisure facilities
• Understanding who is using them, when and why
• Understanding who is not using them and why
• Reviewing the financial viability of our centres
• Reviewing how the centres are recovering from the pandemic
• Working with stakeholders such as Public Health to identify improved health outcomes for residents
• Researching and reviewing delivery models for leisure services

This work also includes a review of the investment required in our leisure centres.

March 2024 update

Work on developing the new Leisure, Sport and Physical Activity Strategy continues and we are working towards presenting the final strategy to Committee in July 2024.

On 20 February 2024 a paper was presented to the Environment, Sustainability, Culture and Sports Committee which considered the options for the future delivery and management of our Leisure Centres.

The Committee agreed to:

• The proposed strategy to tender the management of both Pools on the Park and Teddington Pools and Fitness Centre
• Retain and directly manage the four Sports Centres and Sports Development

View the Committee discussion and decision from Tuesday 20 February 2024.

The timeline for implementation of the decisions is 1 October 2025, with the service running business as usual.

If you have any questions, you can contact us by email at leisure@richmond.gov.uk.

Pools on the Park health suite decision

On 7 November 2023 the Environment, Sustainability, Culture and Sports Committee made the decision to renovate the currently out-of-use health suite, to provide an additional exercise studio at Pools on the Park. Read the press release for full details.

2022 survey results

We carried out a consultation at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023. This included an online survey with an amazing 1,295 responses and also three focus groups with people who are currently underrepresented at our leisure centres.

View the results of the survey.

Further information

If you have any queries about our work to develop the Leisure, Sport and Physical Activity Strategy, please email corporateprojectoffice@richmond.gov.uk.