Bewsey and Dallam Community Hub finalist for top industry award
The team at Bewsey and Dallam Community Hub is celebrating after being shortlisted as a finalist in New Concept, Build or Design of the Year category in the 2022 ukactive awards.
The result will be announced at a highly anticipated night of celebration in Birmingham next month, on Thursday 30 June.
The new £4.3million facility in Warrington opened in November 2021 and now provides residents with a range of community and wellbeing services, including community spaces, a state-of-the-art gym, multi-use studio, pool, and library provision.
It is operated by LiveWire, in line with the existing management agreement for the delivery of leisure, library and lifestyles services in Warrington. LiveWire is working in partnership with Warrington Borough Council’s neighbourhoods team who manage the community rooms within the hub.
Delivering wellbeing
The community hub project was originally developed through the Delivering Wellbeing in Bewsey and Dallam programme, before being adopted as a priority project in the council’s Central 6 Masterplan. The council and other partners, including Torus, have provided the necessary capital investment along with a grant awarded by Sport England.
Key features of Bewsey and Dallam Community Hub includes:
- A state-of-the-art 30 station gym, including Technogym kit, functional fitness space and free weights area
- A multi-use studio space for group exercise classes, library events and community activities
- Over 30 live and virtual group exercise classes a week, including Les Mills Body Pump, Body Combat, Body Balance and Grit, as well as Zumba, Yoga, Pilates and Boxercise
- A 10 metre x 7 metre pool that offers a range of activities, including swimming lessons and public swim as well as hydrotherapy and rehabilitation sessions
- Library facilities, including self-service book borrowing and free public access computers
- Community rooms for hire
- Free Wi-Fi throughout
- Accessible and group wet and dry changing facilities
- A reception/social area providing an informal, relaxing space for community hub users
- Lifestyle services, including weight loss programmes, smoking cessation, getting back into exercise, health walks, and cancer rehabilitation
- Accessible WC facilities and lift
- Dementia friendly building design
- Shared office space for partner organisations
- Free on-site parking for customers and visitors
Held in partnership with Active IQ, this year’s awards shortlist includes fitness and leisure operators of all sizes, local councils, prominent suppliers, leading universities, sports bodies, and charities.
The award ceremony is heading to a new venue this year and will take place at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham, following the Active Uprising conference.
Game-changing concept
The award will be given to a project that features a stand-out, game changing concept, build or design that is changing the way people feel about and engage with physical activity. The shortlist reflects the breadth and influence of ukactive’s membership, with amazing examples of how the sector has rebuilt over the past year, since reopening from lockdown during the pandemic.
Emma Hutchinson, managing director of LiveWire, said: “We are delighted that Bewsey and Dallam Community Hub has been selected as a finalist for the ukactive awards. I’d like to thank all of our staff involved for their hard work and commitment since the hub first opened in November.
“A great deal of hard work has gone into its development, resulting in a site that is proving to be a fantastic asset that provides much needed services and spaces for the local community. We’re very much looking forward to the results next month.”
Warrington Borough Council’s cabinet member for leisure and community, Cllr Tony Higgins, said: “I’m delighted that Bewsey and Dallam Community Hub has been nominated for this prestigious award. A huge amount of work has gone into this project from across the council, LiveWire and other partner organisations, and we’re very proud of the end result.
“The central area of the town now has a wonderful community hub providing high quality leisure, library and lifestyles services within a facility that has been carefully designed to be a modern, welcoming and accessible environment for the whole community to enjoy. It is fantastic that the facility is getting the recognition it deserves through being shortlisted for awards such as this.”
Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive, said: “We are delighted but not surprised by the number of incredible entries and stories we have received for this year’s ukactive awards, which is testament to the unquestionable resilience and innovation within our sector.
“We are extremely proud of all of our members, who have worked so hard in rebuilding the sector and our nation’s health following the challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Congratulations to all the finalists and we look forward to seeing celebrating our industry at the awards ceremony this summer.”
