THE new £16 million neighbourhood hub being built at Great Sankey, Warrington, is to receive £1.5 million lottery funding via Sport England’s strategic facilities fund.
Sport England’s investment will support the transformation of the existing Great Sankey Leisure Centre into an integrated centre housing leisure, health and wellbeing and cultural activities – including dementia friendly facilities.
Emma Hutchinson, managing director of LiveWire, who are developing the new hub, said: “We are delighted to have secured this major grant from Sport England for another one of our neighbourhood hub projects.
“The dementia friendly facility will provide a wealth of opportunities for residents to access physical activities that will help improve health and wellbeing inequalities across the town.”
The funding boost comes a few weeks after another new neighbourhood, to serve Bewsey and Dallam, received £450,000 from Sport England’s Improvement Fund to help provide a dual-use hydrotherapy and learner pool in the new facility on Longshaw Street.
Earlier this year Sport England launched a new five-year-strategy to tackle inactivity.
The organisation will spend £250 million between now and 2021 to increase the number of people in England who participate in regular physical activity, particularly targeting less active groups such as women, disabled people and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
Sport England’s property director, Charles Johnston, said: “We want everyone in England, regardless of age, background or level of ability to feel able to engage in sport and physical activity.
“That’s why we’re excited that work has already started on the Great Sankey Neighbourhood Hub. When it’s completed, it will give local people more opportunities to get active and experience all the benefits that brings.”
A concept drawing of Great Sankey Neighbourhood Hub
