Posted on 1st Mar
Ahead of Kirkby Leisure Centre’s Community Celebration weekend on 11th and 12th March, a tree-planting ceremony took place to commemorate the planting of the first tree on the site.
Ashfield District councillors attended the event alongside Lorenzo Clark, of the council’s leisure partner Everyone Active, and Phil Woodward, Kier site manager.
A total of 10 trees are set to be planted as part of the centre’s £15.5m total investment. The trees planted are named tilia cordata, more commonly known as littleleaf linden.
A new car park is also being built, which will accommodate 89 cars. Building works are set to be complete by May.
The centre is run in partnership between Ashfield District Council and leisure operator Everyone Active. In January 2023 the centre welcomed its 100,000th visitor and membership numbers continue to grow.
The community celebration event is set to mark the successful first six months of Kirkby Leisure Centre after it officially opened in August 2022. The weekend of 11th and 12th March will be open to all Ashfield residents for a range of free and fun activities. Bookable activities will run from 9am–5.00pm on Saturday 11th and include free gym and swimming sessions, soft play, indoor fun-climbing, cookery demonstrations, face painting and balloon modelling. On Sunday two family films, Matilda the Musical (1.30pm) and Eddie The Eagle (3.30pm) will be shown. Tickets cost just £2 per person per film.
Leader of the council Coun Jason Zadrozny said: “It was an honour to be involved in planting the first of many trees at the site – a reminder that as they set their roots, we hope the new facility grows to be part of the Kirkby community in the same way as the old Festival Hall was. We look forward to all the works being completed and fully open for local people to enjoy in the coming months.”
The full activity programme and details of how to book on to the Celebration Weekend will be live, on a first-come first-served basis, from Saturday 4 March.
TOP: Leader of the council Jason Zadrozny and Kirkby councillors place the first tree at the new Kirkby Leisure Centre.
