Use of Crawley's K2 Leisure Centre has returned to pre-pandemic levels

During a meeting of the borough council’s overview & scrutiny commission on Monday (June 26) members were told that things had really picked up over the last six months.

Nigel Sheehan, head of community services, said use of the centre stood at around 340,000 people per quarter, with some 5,500 signed up as members.

He told councillors this was ‘pretty much where it was pre-pandemic’.

One difference has seen more people take up monthly membership rather than yearly – a change Mr Sheehan put down in part to the cost of living crisis, with people unwilling to shell out large amounts of money.

The leisure centre’s improved performance stood the council in good stead when it came to getting back into contract with Everyone Active, which runs K2.

During the pandemic, a huge financial burden was placed on the council as closures and reduced usage of both K2 and the Bewbush gym meant there had been repeated variations to the previous contract.

Mr Sheehan said Everywhere Active had initially offered terms which were ‘significantly below’ what they had been when it came to payments to the council.

But, following negotiations, things were in a ‘significantly better position’

Looking at challenges facing K2, Mr Sheehan put energy costs and the recruitment and retention of staff at the top of the list, with turnover among life guards being relatively high.

A number of projects will also need financing in the coming years, including the relaying of K2’s eight-lane athletics track.

Some 600 people are members of the Bewbush Gym.