Pendle Leisure chief 'looking to the future' as Trust celebrates 20th anniversary

The Trust came into being on October 1st, 2000.

Before then, sport and leisure in the borough had come under the umbrella of Pendle Borough Council’s leisure services department, formed in 1974.

In those early days, there were no sports centres, Nelson and Colne had antiquated swimming baths, there was the Municipal Hall, Silverman Hall and Civic Theatre and the leisure programme consisted of the provision of football, cricket and rugby pitches, the municipal golf course and an occasional jazz concert on a Sunday afternoon.

Over the years, the facilities gradually improved, but in the late 1990s councillors came under increased pressure to fund an ever-expanding leisure programme – and so the idea of the Trust came into being.

Now, 20 years later, Pendle Leisure Trust stands proud as one of the country’s leading providers in health and well-being, striving to offer the people of Pendle the very best in sport, fitness, arts, relaxation and entertainment.

The list of facilities it manages on behalf of Pendle Borough Council includes Pendle Wavelengths, Pendle Leisure Centre, West Craven Sports Centre, Seedhill Athletics and Fitness Centre, The Muni Theatre, The ACE Centre, Inside Spa and Marsden Park Golf Course.

Alison Goode, chief executive of Pendle Leisure Trust, said: “We would not be where we are today without the continued support from Pendle Council which has allowed us to grow as a business.

“Over the last two decades, major investment has been put into the facilities with ongoing improvements and refurbishment works, including upgrades for our gyms and sports hall, building a state-of-the-art spa and the introduction of the Feelgood Factory, as well as the growth of our community activities.

“We pride ourselves on providing leisure activities for the whole family and for every age and ability. It’s important that we recognise and meet our customers’ needs and constantly try to improve them, whilst operating in a cost effective manner and delivering a high quality service.”

Coun. Mohammed Iqbal, Leader of Pendle Council, added: “Pendle Leisure Trust is a hugely important part of the community and it’s fantastic to see it mark its 20th anniversary.”

Dean Langton, chief executive of Pendle Council, said: “Congratulations to Pendle Leisure Trust! Local residents have some fantastic facilities right on their doorstep which are run by friendly staff who help our communities to live their best lives.”

Alison added: “I’m so proud of what Pendle Leisure Trust has achieved over the last 20 years and seeing how much we have evolved. We are constantly thinking ahead and looking at ways to improve our facilities and services to enable us to provide the very best in leisure for the people of Pendle – and which we will hopefully continue to do for the next 20 years.

“But most of all, I want to thank our past and existing staff, loyal members and customers who have supported us over the last two decades; without them, we would not still be going strong today.”