Health leaders have met to discuss how a new, state-of-the-art leisure facility in Millom could transform community wellbeing across the area.
The new centre, currently under construction as part of Millom Town Deal’s Activating Community Health project, is being delivered by Cumberland Council.
Ways in which the facility could be used to embed health and wellbeing services in the heart of the community were discussed at a dedicated stakeholder workshop held at the Lighthouse Centre, in Haverigg, on Thursday 26 February.
Representatives from Cumbria Health, South Cumbria and North Lancashire Integrated Care Board, Cumberland Council’s public health team, the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust, Cumbria CVS and Active Cumbria were among those in attendance, along with Everyone Active, the newly appointed operator for the site.
The event was chaired by Colin Cox, Director of Public Health, Customer and Community Wellbeing for Cumberland Council, who told the group the new facility could become an exemplar project to illustrate how NHS and other health services could be delivered in the heart of the community.
The session also explored how the facility can support improved health outcomes for all across the area. Opportunities discussed included social prescribing, the potential for the building to host satellite health services on site and signposting residents to a range of new healthy lifestyle activities that will be available.
Colin Cox said: “This new facility is a fantastic opportunity to bring health and wellbeing services directly into the heart of the community.
“By working closely with local partners, we can create a welcoming space that not only supports healthier lifestyles but also has the potential to deliver health and wellness services, positioning the facility as an exemplar project that other regions will look to as a model for future development.”
The new leisure facility is one of four major projects that make up the ambitious Millom Town Deal, backed by £20.6 million in Government funding alongside £8.7 million in match funding.
The Copeland Community Fund has provided £1 million towards the project and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority has provided a £3.1 million grant, as part of its investment in supporting permanent and sustainable change in Millom and all its site communities. Funding has also been provided by South Copeland GDF Community Partnership, CGP, Millom School and Millom Town Council.
When complete, it will offer a swimming pool giving every child the opportunity to learn to swim, alongside a gym and fitness studio.
Outdoor sports facilities already in use at the locations include a 3G pitch, a World Athletics‑standard long jump area and a floodlit running track.
It was announced last month that the new leisure operator; Everyone Active, had won a 10-year contract to run leisure facilities in Millom, Workington, Cockermouth, Maryport, Keswick, Whitehaven and Cleator Moor on behalf of Cumberland Council.
The senior team from Everyone Active will now work with local organisations to develop health‑focused programmes and opportunities that will make full use of the centre once it opens.
David Savage, Chair of Millom Town Deal, said:
“We are delighted to see health partners working together in preparation for the opening of this fantastic new facility later this year.
"The centre represents a major investment in the future of Millom and Haverigg, and by collaborating in this way we can ensure it delivers real, lasting benefits for the wellbeing of our communities for generations ahead."