Derby City Council has today announced its leisure operating partner for Moorways Sports Village.
Everyone Active will manage the brand new £42 million swimming pool and water park, together with the existing athletics track and football pitches at the adjoining Moorways Stadium.
Everyone Active was founded in 1987, making it the UK’s longest-established leisure contractor. It is one of the UK’s leading operators for local leisure, gym, swim and activities facilities, and works in partnership with more than 60 local authorities to manage over 200 leisure and cultural centres across the country.
They have won numerous leisure industry awards including the UK Active Healthy Communities Award in August 2021.
Work is almost complete on the construction of Moorways Sports Village, with handover by construction partner Bowmer + Kirkland to the Council due to go ahead as planned in February. The swimming pools have been filled and all the Water Park rides commissioned. The project is forecast to be delivered on time and on budget.
Councillor Ross McCristal, Derby City Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure, Wellbeing and Sport, said: “We have achieved our aim of finding an excellent partner for the fantastic Moorways Sports Village and we are excited to be working with Everyone Active. They impressed us with their commitment to helping people become active and stay healthy and will offer something for the entire community to enjoy.”
Simon Fearn, Everyone Active’s regional contract manager, said: “As an East Midlands-founded company with extensive experience in nearby Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and East Staffordshire, it’s fantastic that we’ve been appointed to manage and develop the facilities within familiar territory that’s close to our heart.
“This outstanding centre is so important for health and wellbeing in the local area and we are incredibly privileged to be chosen to manage it on the Council’s behalf.
“We look forward to creating a close, impactful relationship with the Council which we hope will last for many years to come.”
The state-of-the art features at the new Moorways Sports Village include the main ten-lane, 50-metre swimming pool with moveable floors and booms to create three 25-metre pools, allowing flexible use for both leisure swimmers and club training sessions.
The Water Park area has two flumes, rides and slides, and a gently sloping leisure pool with a wave-creating Wow Ball, the only one in a public leisure centre in the UK.
Other facilities include a smaller teaching pool, a spa area, a gym and fitness studios. Off the main reception is a soft play area for children and a large open plan café, offering views over both the 50-metre pool and the Water Park, and a second, smaller soft play area.
Once the building has been handed over, Everyone Active will agree their action plan with the Council for getting it ready to welcome the public, and a date will be set for the opening.
The Council has approved plans to cease the leisure operation at Queen’s Leisure Centre when Moorways Sports Village opens. A date for this to happen will be confirmed when the opening date for the new facility is announced.
