Under-threat Much Wenlock Leisure Centre in the birthplace of the modern Olympics is saved with 10-year deal
A Shropshire leisure centre in the birthplace of the modern Olympic games that has been under threat, has been saved.
Much Wenlock Leisure Centre at William Brookes school was facing closure after Shropshire Council announced last year their funding would be withdrawn after March 31 this year.
Much Wenlock is known as the birthplace of the modern Olympic Games, after Baron Pierre de Coubertin visited the Wenlock Olympian Games that had been started by Dr William Penny Brookes ahead of establishing the International Olympic Committee in 1894 and the launch the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. The Wenlock Olympian Games still takes place in the town and uses the facilities at the leisure centre.
Now William Brookes School and The 3-18 Education Trust have confirmed that Halo Leisure have been appointed to run Much Wenlock Leisure Centre from April 1, securing its future for a decade.
The 10-year agreement with Halo Leisure will see the provision secured across both Much Wenlock and Bridgnorth Endowed Leisure Centre, strengthening relations between the Trust's schools and local communities.
Much Wenlock Leisure Centre was saved from closure after months of collaborative work led by Ruth Shaw, Headteacher at William Brookes School.
Ruth has worked between the school, Trust, local partners and the wider community to secure the future of the leisure centre for the benefit of both students and the local public.
She said: “We are delighted and greatly relieved that the leisure centre has been saved. It will be the heartbeat of our school, underpinning our ‘healthy body, healthy mind’ vision and our values as a Coubertin School. This has been a remarkable team effort and marks another important moment in the rebuilding of William Brookes School.”
Halo Leisure will take over the running of Much Wenlock Leisure Centre on Wednesday 1st April. The centre’s 25m swimming pool, sports hall, gym and fitness suite will continue to serve both William Brookes students and the general public. However, the running track used by the Wenlock Olympian Games is still in need of funding to bring it up to UK Athletics standards.
Scott Rolfe, Halo’s Chief Executive, said, “We are delighted to be selected by the school as the operational partner in the delivery of their leisure services. Our social enterprise business model and registered charity status allows us to trade for social purposes and ‘not for profit’, something the school recognised as a sign of quality and strength.”
“We will continue to support even more local people to participate in some form of exercise, increase the range of activities available to them and invest in the leisure facilities at the school. We are confident that, together, we can transform services and facilities for the benefit of local residents and get more people more active more often”.
Councillor James Owen, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Leisure at Shropshire Council said: “We have been working alongside the school, the Trust and the town council for a number of months to identify a funding source to secure the centre’s future. Therefore, we are delighted that money from the town’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) will be used to do this, without the need for a council subsidy.
“It is brilliant that the services at the leisure facility in Much Wenlock will be protected for years to come with this partnership agreement between Halo and The 3-18 Education Trust. It is the current stark financial reality that Shropshire Council cannot always provide these important community assets, but the administration is dedicated to promoting alternative ways to mitigate the impact of Shropshire’s financial decisions.”
Councillor Dan Thomas, Shropshire Councillor for Much Wenlock and Town Mayor added: “When it was announced last year that Shropshire Council were pulling the funding from the Leisure Centre, I was deeply concerned about the damage it could have to our community. As Much Wenlock's Shropshire Councillor, it was a pleasure to work with The 3-18 Education Trust and officers from Shropshire Council to secure confirmation of funds required to refurbish the facility for public use.”
“I have seen first-hand the dedication required to reach this point by the management of the Trust, who have the wider community's interest at heart. I want to pay particular tribute to Ruth Shaw’s leadership as Head of William Brookes School; the impact of the school's improvements has been felt by the wider community.”
“For the people of Much Wenlock, this isn't just about a building—it’s about health, wellbeing, and maintaining the unique Olympic legacy of our town. I look forward to seeing the centre thrive under Halo's expertise, working with existing dedicated staff. The people of Much Wenlock, its surrounding areas, and I will be forever grateful to the 3-18 Education Trust for taking our leisure centre on.”
