Latest News

Dronfield and Eckington Fitness Suite Refurbishments

Exciting news for Just Do More members!

Refurbishments of the fitness suites at Dronfield and Eckington will take place in the Autumn of 2024.

North East Derbyshire have appointed five high quality equipment suppliers adopting a best in class approach to enhance the look, quality and feel of the areas.

Pulse Fitness, Indigo Fitness, Keiser, Total Gym and Box12 will provide the latest equipment that has been carefully selected in line with current and emerging fitness trends.

Please see below some example images of how the new gym will look at Dronfield Active.

In Winter 2024/early 2025, redevelopment of Clay Cross Active will see a brand new state of the art fitness suite introduced at the site.

Alongside this, Clay Cross Active will see the introduction of a power assisted Wellness Suite. This will broaden our membership offer particularly for those wanting to use this type of equipment for preventative and rehabilitative measures.

Image of swimming pool at Dronfield Active

Dronfield Sports Centre Decarbonisation Project

The Sports Centre in North East Derbyshire is leading the way in the leisure industry by decarbonising the existing building to be running on 100% renewable energy and memberships are soaring, bucking the national trend where leisure centres are notoriously struggling because of the cost of living crisis.

The project which is funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and delivered by Salix, is an ambitious one, and is part of North East Derbyshire Council’s commitment towards a net zero future.

The centre received £1.33m of funding, which it used to replace the old gas-powered boilers and installed energy efficient air source heat pumps as well as the fitting of 200+ solar panels.

solar panel dsc 3

In addition to this, cavity wall insulation has also been installed around the building, as has energy efficient LED lighting, resulting in a 100% decrease in carbon emissions. Upon completion of the works, Dronfield Sports Centre is expected to reduce its annual carbon emissions by more than 172 tonnes, becoming carbon neutral in the process.

This project is just one part of a long term plan to keep running costs as low as possible and improving the centre for its customers, which aren’t always just memberships, the installation of the café into the centre really cemented the centres place at the heart of the community.

dsc cafe area

Centre Manager, Mark Rocca, said, “Since we have installed the café we have never looked back. It enables the whole community to have somewhere to relax and grab a bite to eat, from parents and toddlers to older generations, everyday it’s serving our resident whilst they catch up with friends or watching their children learn to swim or a place to go after school.

On top of all this, another remarkable achievement of the centre, which is the centre has kept membership prices frozen for over ten years and has even committed to keeping the price freeze this financial year, despite national and global energy prices soaring.

This commitment to serving its members and community in the best possible way by not passing on costs to the customer is truly what sets North East Derbyshire leisure centres apart from its competitors, with memberships increasing rapidly, despite a national crisis in the leisure industry.

Assistant Director for Leisure, Chris Mills said, “I’ve been managing our leisure centres for a long time, longer than I’d like to mention! But what I have experienced in my time here is the commitment from our staff and elected members to provide the best service and experience for our communities and members.

We understand the financial difficulties our residents are experiencing with the cost of living crisis, just as we are with the energy prices rocketing for our centres, but our forward thinking and planning, utilising opportunities such as the Government funding for decarbonisation to make our centre in Dronfield 100% renewable means we can work together with our customers to make sure Dronfield Sports Centre is here for the future and our membership prices are affordable.

It’s a space which is accessible and inclusive to all. Everyone is welcome here, whether it is just for a cuppa or for dedicated professionals, from toddlers learning to swim on our otter courses to rehabilitation classes for those recovering from injury or ill health, we are proud to be here for you and leading by example across the UK for others to follow in our footsteps.

dsc pool

North East Derbyshire District Council Cabinet Member for Leisure, Cllr Kathy Rouse said: “Becoming carbon neutral and using 100% renewable energy is a real statement of our commitment to be cleaner and greener and I hope this project makes headlines across the UK to empower other leisure centres to follow suit in decarbonising their centres.

“Climate Change and saving money and energy are the core values for our residents and us as an authority and this project will see us making incredible efforts to ensure the safe and green future of the facility for our residents for the long-term future.

We understand the difficulties our residents have faced financially the last few years and our membership price freeze despite our rising running costs really shows our intent and commitment to providing the best service possible for our communities.

We are delighted to be working with North East Derbyshire District Council on this exciting scheme. It’s very encouraging to see what a positive impact this will make on the leisure centre and everyone who uses it.

As someone who is from the area and grew up using the centre, it is great to see the tangible changes now being made in response to the climate emergency. It will be transformational for the area and make a real difference to the users, we cannot wait to see the council achieve its carbon savings.

Find out more at: https://www.salixfinance.co.uk/insights/case-studies/dronfield-sports-centre

Eckington Sports Centre Decarbonisation

As part of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, North East Derbyshire Council has been awarded £1m in government funding to reduce carbon emissions at Eckington Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre.

It is estimated the technologies installed will reduce carbon emissions by 254 tonnes of CO2 annually.

The updates include:

Replacing gas power sources with Air Source Heat Pumps
Solar PV panels installed to power heat pumps
A new air handling system to improve air quality and temperature and the overall customer journey

The grant will reduce emissions at the centre by 66%, making it the ‘greenest’ leisure centre in the area. The project supports the Council’s efforts to decarbonize energy sources in public buildings to achieve net zero by 2030 and to provide excellent leisure facilities that will improve the lives of residents and customers.

With these energy and carbon reducing measures set to save the equivalent of heating 100 homes per year, we are creating a brighter, greener and healthier future for our gym members who attend to keep fit.

Jeremy Kenyon Councillor

The road to net zero

The project is part of the Council’s commitment to meeting targets set out by the Manchester Tyndall Project, which has set all districts and boroughs targets to be net zero by 2050 across all public buildings.

North East Derbyshire Council is currently investing in innovative technologies across its commercial properties to explore efficient energy options available. The Council was also awarded £3m as part of the Local Authority Delivery, with funds being put towards insulation for social housing. The Council is dedicated to taking steps to commit to build and upgrade infrastructure which will lead to a sustainable, zero carbon future.

*tonnes of Carbon Dioxide, calculated using Green Book emissions factors for electricity published by the government.

Find out more at: https://www.salixfinance.co.uk/insights/case-studies/north-east-derbyshire-district-council

Visual showing a CGI of the new leisure centre

Clay Cross Active Decarbonisation

The refurbishment of Clay Cross leisure centre is the latest decarbonisation project by the Council. The leisure centre is currently undergoing impressive refurbishments, with a strong focus on facilities modernisation and reduction of CO2 emissions. Existing leisure centre will be replaced with a brand-new community hub, which will be comprising of a leisure centre with health provisions and support services.

To minimise the reliance on natural gas needed to heat the building, air source heat pumps will be installed, in turn reducing the overall carbon footprint of the leisure centre. The enhanced thermal efficiency of the building, which goes beyond the requirements of current building regulations will also ensure better heat retention. The centre will meet a portion of its electricity needs from solar panels generating renewable energy on site, with solar panel array installed on the roof.

For increased energy and resource efficiency, all lights within the centre will be energy efficient LED lightbulbs. Additionally, the pre-existing sports hall frame has been retained, helping to avoid between 30% and 40% of additional emissions that would have been associated with the manufacturing of a new frame.

Being our third leisure centre to undergo extensive decarbonisation work, Clay Cross Active represents our continuous commitment to sustainable practices and greater energy and resource efficiency.

We invite you to experience all of these improvements and more, by visiting the Clay Cross Active once it opens. We look forward to our residents being able to enjoy the benefits of our new and improved leisure centre, creating a modern, healthier and more sustainable environment for all.