Life Leisure’s Brinnington Park Leisure Complex will be giving people free access to a series of exercise classes, sports sessions and its gym in March.
The special event, running from March 18-24, is being held to mark the centre’s one-year anniversary to thank the local community and to give even more residents a chance to see what the facility has to offer.
In addition to the free access programme, the anniversary week will also see two special day-long events.
Friday, March 22, will be ‘health day’ at Brinnington with partner organisations on hand to discuss a number of local projects and support programmes available to residents.
Life Leisure coaches will also be providing free ‘Boditrax’ assessments and advice for all ages and abilities about taking the first steps to becoming more active.
Saturday, March 23, will also be a key date to remember, with the centre holding a community sport and activity day featuring an inflatable assault course, giant games (ages 5+), studio classes such as spinning and dance fit, family boxing and gym sessions, a ‘messy play’ zone, and a fun inflatable for toddlers.
On the same day, running enthusiasts will be able to take part in Brinnington’s first ever pilot parkrun, scheduled to start at 9am, which it is hoped will lead to an established event.
Meanwhile, budding football stars will have the chance to show their skills in a free tournament taking place between 1pm and 3pm.
Local food providers will be on site throughout the day selling snacks, while a table top sale may appeal to those in need of a little retail therapy, with proceeds going to the David Hopkins Foundation, supporting physical activity and sport across Stockport.
‘Something for everyone at Brinnington’
Life Leisure, in partnership with Stockport Council, opened Brinnington Park Leisure Complex in 2018 as a ‘destination facility for the area’, offering a mix of leisure, health and wellbeing opportunities with the aim of improving local access to sport and fitness, boosting activity levels, and of providing a much-need community hub for broader support services and programmes.
It also brought employment to the area with 11 of the centre’s 14 staff based locally.
Since then, the multi-million-pound centre – developed through investment by Stockport Council – has lived up to its billing and become an important community asset.
Elise Norbury, Group Operations Manager at Brinnington Park, said: “Membership levels are over 20 times higher than those previously logged at our Lapwing facility, which Brinnington replaced, showing that local residents are definitely becoming more active.
“Better still, the centre is used by local sports clubs, schools, and groups that offer really valuable services for residents – from organisations like Stockport Homes and Preventative Alliance, who provide activities for men suffering from mental health issues, to ABL Health and Borough Care who provide family lifestyle advice and dementia support programmes respectively.
“Coupled with take-up of initiatives like our PARiS (Physical Activity Referral in Stockport) scheme and dedicated activity programmes for those with health or mobility issues, the Brinnington Park Leisure Complex really has become a key part of many local resident’s lives.
“This isn’t a result that’s ‘just happened’. The team here has worked exceptionally hard and with endless enthusiasm driven by a desire to improve people’s lives around them.
“I’m immensely proud of them and have no doubt that they will continue to help more people embrace the physical activity opportunities on their doorstep, with this open week a perfect way to support that mission.”
One of the team and a local resident herself, Leigh Appleton, Duty Manager at Brinnington, added: “There really is something at the centre for everybody, no matter what age or fitness level. I’m proud to live and work here.
“The complex is just what Brinnington needed, what our community deserves, and a fantastic facility for all to use.
“This special week is a great way to showcase that, and will hopefully encourage more local residents to come along and see what we can offer them.”
