Celebrating 10 Years of South Downs Leisure
This May we’re celebrating a major milestone—10 years since South Downs Leisure was founded as a charitable trust. From our humble beginnings to becoming a hub of health, wellbeing, innovation and sustainability across Adur and Worthing, we’ve spent the last decade growing with and for our community.
Here’s a look at how we’ve evolved and some of the incredible achievements we’ve celebrated along the way.
Building a Greener Tomorrow
In 2022, we launched a bold Sustainability Strategy (2022–2026) with a clear mission: to make our dryside sites carbon neutral by 2030, and our pools by 2040.
And we’re already making real progress. We’ve installed over 470 solar panels across Splashpoint and Wadurs, cutting CO₂ and powering operations like our pool and lighting. We’ve gone paperless with DocuSign, added EV chargers at Field Place, improved site-wide recycling with Recorra, and even rehomed old boots via Football Rebooted.
From turning pool waste into new kit through Leisure Loop, to housing bee colonies at Worthing Leisure Centre, we’re not just planning for a sustainable future, we’re actively building it.
Championing Community
Over the past 10 years, we’ve worked to make health and wellbeing more accessible, inclusive and community-driven. From delivering free online classes during COVID to providing over 700 gym memberships to people facing homelessness or hardship in 2023 alone, we’ve put people at the heart of everything we do.
We’ve supported a wide range of local charities, including Billy & Beyond—supporting young people’s mental health in memory of Billy Mullin, Worthing Counselling Centre, The Brain Charity, Eastbrook Gardeners, Green Tides and many more.
We’ve also helped with GoodGym Worthing and proudly host Worthing Leisure Centre junior parkrun, which now welcomes over 3,000 young runners annually.
Whether through the Green Dream Festival, the Three Forts Challenge, or teaching more than 3,000 children to swim in 2023, we’ve spent the last decade helping our community move more, connect more and live well, together.
Growth & Facilities
Over the years, we’ve expanded our reach and improved our facilities to better serve our communities. In 2021, we welcomed three former Impulse Leisure sites—Lancing Manor Leisure Centre, Southwick Leisure Centre and Wadurs Swimming Pool—into our family.
Refurbished the gyms at Southwick and Worthing Leisure Centre, introducing modern equipment and enhanced training environments.
Created three spin studios, including the immersive cycle studio at Worthing Leisure Centre.
Opened the Pole Fitness Studio at Worthing Leisure Centre, offering more inclusive fitness options.
We also:
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Taken on the operation of Palatine Park Football Centre, running various classes and supporting local clubs and leagues.
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Upgraded tennis courts and pitches, including our rubber crumb capture project to reduce waste at Worthing Leisure Centre.
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Marked 50 years of Worthing Leisure Centre, honouring its legacy while investing in its future.
Expanding to the Coast: Operating Sea Lanes Brighton
A major milestone in our 10-year journey was taking on the operation of Sea Lanes Brighton—a unique open water swimming destination on the city’s seafront. Developed in partnership with QED and SwimTrek, the site features a heated 50-metre outdoor pool and is the first of its kind in the region.
As operators, South Downs Leisure ensures Sea Lanes delivers the same high standards of service, safety and community focus found across all our sites. It’s now a thriving coastal hub for open water training, fitness, and wellbeing—extending our impact beyond Adur and Worthing and into Brighton.
A New Chapter: Running Hampton Pool
We’re thrilled to announce that from 2nd June 2025, South Downs Leisure will take over the operation of Hampton Pool—a much-loved outdoor facility with a strong community spirit.
As we step in to run the pool, we’re committed to maintaining everything people already enjoy, while introducing exciting improvements like a new website, online booking, and a user-friendly app.
We’re proud to continue Hampton Pool’s legacy of outdoor health and wellbeing, and can’t wait to bring our trusted, community-first approach to this iconic site.
Digital Innovation & Member Experience
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Launched our South Downs Leisure App in 2019, providing members with a all in one digital experience, from bookings, to news to gamification and more.
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Launched FIT4 On Demand for on-demand online classes, providing free online classes to all through COVID.
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Introduced AI-powered support in our app (2024) to simplify membership queries.
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Produced the South Downs Leisure Podcast on topics from mental health and sustainability to neurodiversity and menopause.
A Decade of Achievement
Over the past 10 years, our work has been recognised locally and regionally, reflecting both our community impact and commitment to excellence. Highlights include winning Team of the Year at the National Wedding Industry Awards (2023), Sustainable Business of the Year from both Adur & Worthing (2022) and Active Sussex (2023), and Hospitality, Tourism & Leisure Business of the Year (2021). Our CEO was also named Business Personality of the Year in 2022—a proud moment for the entire team.
Thank You for 10 Incredible Years
To every member, partner, volunteer, staff member and supporter—thank you. You’ve helped us build a healthier, more inclusive, and sustainable leisure community.
Here’s to the next decade of inspiring movement, empowering wellbeing, and growing together—More People, More Active, More Often.
