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.

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.

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.

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