Mayor kick-starts park and leisure centre improvements with £250k Community Development Fund investment

The Mayor of the East Midlands has awarded more than a quarter of a million pounds from her Community Development Fund to support healthier living for residents of a north Derbyshire town.

Mayor Claire Ward visited Shirebrook to hand over £256,076 from her Community Development Fund to Shirebrook Town Council to support improvements to the town’s leisure centre and park.  

The investment will support a range of improvements, including a new pump track for cyclists and skaters, a circular walking path, a community kick-about and multi-use games space, upgraded gym equipment and a refurbished children’s soft play area.  

Mayor Claire said: “It’s been a pleasure today to visit Shirebrook Leisure Centre and meet with local people. It’s been great to tell them that they will benefit from new and improved leisure facilities thanks to their successful bid for just more than £250,000 from my Community Development Fund.   

“Outdoor spaces and facilities for exercise and play are vital for the health of our communities – they enable people to come together and get active, in places they can be proud of.  

“Through my Community Development Fund, I’m supporting local organisations in 10 different places across the East Midlands funding to tackle the challenges facing their communities.”   

Mayor Claire visited Shirebrook Leisure Centre to mark the Community Development Fund award for Kissingate Active Together: Shirebrook North Community Health, Play and Sport Hub. During her visit, the Mayor met representatives from Shirebrook Town Council, as well as leisure centre staff and visitors. 

Kissingate Active Together 

Through Kissingate Active Together, the town council is working with Shirebrook Leisure Centre and Bolsover District Council to make improvements to health, play and sport facilities in Shirebrook North. 

Research has found that Shirebrook North faces a combination of deep deprivation, poor health, low physical activity and a shortage of accessible local sites. Feedback from local residents has highlighted a need for safer local spaces, better signage, family-friendly walking opportunities, more accessible places to be active, and more things for young people to do. 

The proposed pump track will provide children and young people with a new outdoor facility where they can ride their bikes, scooters and boards, develop their skills, enjoy exercise, and spend time with friends. By giving young people somewhere constructive and enjoyable to spend their free time, it is hoped that the pump track could help reduce boredom and contribute towards preventing antisocial behaviour. 

Councillor Martin Barber, from Shirebrook Town Council, said: “This £256,056 funding from Mayor Claire will make a real difference to our community.  

“By investing in improvements at Shirebrook Leisure Centre, including a new pump track, circular walking path, refurbished soft play area, upgraded gym equipment and referral-based services, we can encourage more people of all ages and abilities to become active, improve their health and wellbeing, and enjoy better leisure facilities locally.  

“This investment is about creating more opportunities for families, young people, and residents across Shirebrook, helping to build a healthier and more active community for the future.”  

Tracy Baxter, Shirebrook Leisure Centre general manager, said: “Together, these improvements are about much more than new equipment and facilities. They represent an investment in the health, happiness and future of the town. 

“By combining outdoor recreation, accessible walking routes, modern fitness facilities and family-friendly activities, Shirebrook Leisure Centre can continue to develop as a community hub serving children, young people, adults, and older residents alike. 

“The funding will help create more opportunities for people to become active, meet others, improve their wellbeing, and enjoy facilities close to home.” 

Mayor’s Community Development Fund 

The £256,076 investment has been awarded from the Mayor’s Community Development Fund.  

The £3m fund is being invested in priority areas across the East Midlands. The fund is aimed at boosting community resilience, increasing local skills, and enabling people to take control of shaping their own neighbourhoods. 

Other communities to benefit include Warsop, near Mansfield, and Leamington in Sutton-in-Ashfield. Mayor Claire has awarded £252,868 to Warsop Parish Council for Future Warsop, alongside £228,634 to The Academy Transformation Trust in Sutton-in-Ashfield, for Let’s Go Leamington. 

Future Warsop will invest “in key community facilities for young people, a community park for families and people of all ages, and a flexible resource for grassroots community activity” in Market Warsop, while in Sutton-in-Ashfield, the funding will be used to develop a “vibrant hub for wellbeing” at Willets Court Community Centre, Leamington.

Click here for more information about awards to other areas.