Delivering Meaningful Community Impact Through Affordable Facilities
8 May 2026
Delivering £487,950 in social value in 2025, Warsop Health Hub is proving that well-designed community leisure can have a measurable and transformative impact – that’s the equivalent of £260 per person, surpassing the national average of £230.
Located in North Nottinghamshire, the £9.1 million facility was delivered by Alliance Leisure on behalf of Mansfield District Council to address deep-rooted health inequalities in a community of around 12,000 residents. In Warsop, 25% of people live with a limiting long-term illness, life expectancy for men is seven years below the national average, and 64% of residents live in health deprivation hotspots. The closure of Meden Sports Centre in 2018 left a clear gap in provision.
Rather than simply replacing a leisure centre, the ambition was to create something more inclusive and community-led. Developed using Sport England’s Leisure Local concept, Warsop Health Hub combines physical activity, wellbeing services and social spaces in one accessible location.
The facility includes a 15m four-lane swimming pool, gym, sports hall, community kitchen, café, IT suite and flexible spaces for health and social programmes. Accessibility is central, with step-free access, inclusive changing facilities and a fully accessible pool with hoist and pool pod.
The hub has made a rapid impact. Within just eight weeks, 627 memberships were sold, far exceeding the target of 160. From April 2025 to March 2026, it recorded almost 96,000 gym visits, more than 19,000 class attendances and over 36,000 swimming visits.
Health outcomes are also showing clear improvement. Year 6 swimming attainment has risen from 40% to 80%, while programmes such as “Small Steps to Feeling Great” have helped participants achieve weight loss, lower blood pressure and improved mental wellbeing.
The hub has become an important part of community life through partnerships with organisations including Vibrant Warsop and Active Notts. Together, they deliver activities ranging from walking football and wellbeing sessions to holiday programmes for children with special educational needs. Its impact also extends to employment and skills development, with 75% of staff living in Warsop and the remainder from the wider Mansfield district.
Completed ahead of schedule and within budget, the all-electric hub has been designed for long-term sustainability, combining energy-efficient systems with accessible, lower-cost operation.
The project has gained national recognition, winning Build, Design or Refurbishment of the Year at the ukactive Awards 2025. But its real success lies in its impact on people.
For residents like Janice and Betty, the hub has become a lifeline. The lifelong Warsop neighbours, who both lost their husbands at a young age, now attend four to five times a week.
“It keeps your body going, but it’s the social part as well. If you can’t go one week, it’s surprising how you miss it,” says Betty, 87.
“My blood pressure had been really high since my husband died, but I went about a month ago, and it had gone right down,” adds Janice, 83.
Stories like these bring the headline statistic to life. £260 of social value per person reflects real improvements in health, confidence and connection.
Warsop Health Hub shows how community-focused facilities can deliver lasting change, turning a single building into a catalyst for healthier, more connected lives.
