Dronfield Active Archives - Page 2 of 2

WIN with our leisure survey!

Have your say on our leisure services and be in with the chance of winning £50!

As a leisure centre user, we are keen to know how you rate our facilities and services.

How often do you use Killamarsh Active, Eckington Active and Dronfield Active?, which facilities have you used over the last 12 months?, how satisfied are you with our facilities?

Cllr Kathy Rouse, Cabinet member for Leisure, said: “Your views are important to us to help monitor customer satisfaction and improve our facilities, so please make some time to have your say.”

The survey is quick and easy to complete and everyone who fills it in* will have the chance of winning a £50 Amazon voucher!

The survey will open for a fortnight from 28 October – 10 November.

You can fill in the survey online or pick up a paper copy from the leisure centres.

For more information about all our leisure facilities, including Clay Cross Active set to open early 2025, see our new website – www.justdomore.co.uk

*Contact details required to enter prize draw.

This Vegetarian Week, our leisure centre cafés at Dronfield, Eckington and Killamarsh invites you to explore the delicious and health-boosting world of vegetarian cuisine with a special offer of 20% off our vegetarian & vegan sandwiches.

With an increasing awareness of the benefits of plant-based diets for both personal health and the environment, we are proud to offer a variety of tasty vegetarian options that cater to all ages and preferences.

There are a number of Health benefits to eating vegetarian food including:

Reduces the risk of heart disease by up to 25%
Reduces the risk of some cancers
Reduces the risk of diabetes

Not only that, there’s a large environmental impact too including:

Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions as not coming from farm produce
Reduction in carbon footprint, which helps reduce deforestation globally
Reduction in the use of land, water and oil resources

Join Us This National Vegetarian Week 1 October – 7 October, where we challenge you to swap your usual meal for one of our delicious vegetarian dishes.

Not only will you be making a healthier choice for yourself, but you’ll also be contributing to a more sustainable planet.

Visit our leisure centre cafés to discover the benefits of vegetarian eating.

Share your experience on social media using #VegetarianWeek, #EatGreen, and #HealthyEating!

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