Rye Sports Centre, including its swimming pool, will be run from next April by a newly formed charity, Rye Recreation & Wellbeing CIO (RRW). Governed by six trustees who have roots in the local community – chair Barry Nealon is also a trustee of the Memorial Hospital – the charity will take over from current corporate operators Freedom Leisure under a new 20-year lease of the site granted by East Sussex County Council to Rye Town Council.

This follows the closure of the swimming pool two years ago as a result of the spike in energy costs. Local residents protested at this decision; Mayor Cllr Andi Rivett called a public meeting, and a group of volunteers then got together to create the RRW charity with the aim of running the centre on an alternative management model. The pool was reopened in September 2023, still operated by Freedom Leisure, and last month Rother District Council approved the use of £650,000 Levelling Up Partnership (LUP) funds to ‘rejuvenate’ both the pool and the other parts of the centre. 

It is understood that there will be much greater use of volunteer staff at the centre, though the existing employees of Freedom Leisure will presumably retain TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment) rights at the handover.

RRW’s vision clearly goes well beyond the provision of sporting facilities. Its business plan, according to co-trustee Rebekah Gilbert, involves “close working with other stakeholders, so that this becomes not just a leisure centre but one that can offer outreach facilities in terms of health and wellbeing, by working closely with social prescribers, healthcare professionals, GPs etc.” The effect in terms of future provision for particular sports is still under discussion.


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https://www.hastingsindependentpress.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/SPORT-Rye-Sports-Centre-2-1024x768.jpghttps://www.hastingsindependentpress.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/SPORT-Rye-Sports-Centre-2-150x150.jpgHIPSportBarry Nealon,East Sussex County Council to Rye Town Council,Rye Recreation & Wellbeing CIO,Rye Sports CentreRye Sports Centre, including its swimming pool, will be run from next April by a newly formed charity, Rye Recreation & Wellbeing CIO (RRW). Governed by six trustees who have roots in the local community – chair Barry Nealon is also a trustee of the Memorial Hospital - the...The Hastings & St Leonards non-profit community newspaper