Exciting news this week as Rye Leisure Centre is given a grant to help sustain its future. Lee Cornelius, the new Centre Manager, gave me this interview.
What motivated you to take on this demanding rôle?
Rye Sports Centre and Swimming Pool has always been my favourite swimming pool since I very first started working there not long after it first opened. I have done various jobs within the centre over the years and I know what it means to the local community. I am very excited to get the facilities, services and activities up and running again whilst looking forward to making improvements and changes at the Centre, too.
Can you tell me a bit more about the grant please: where did it come from, how much etc?
Here is a link with the information on the grant - Funding boost for local swimming pools –
What will the grant mean to the leisure centre?
The grant has enabled the swimming pool to re-open as of the October 2. We are now working to bring back all the activities and services that the community has missed, with hopefully a few changes and new ideas too. The grant has helped to secure leisure facilities for Rye.
Are you happy with the take-up of people using the centre now it is back open?
It has been great to see people using the centre again; some are returning after the closure and some new faces are appearing for their first time too. It would be good to see more people using the centre and we would welcome anyone to come and visit us and see what we have to offer.
What classes and facilities do you offer each week?
We offer a range of swimming opportunities (which will continue to grow) including open
sessions for families, lane swimming and aqua aerobics. The swimming lesson programme will be returning shortly too. We have a fully-functioning gym with a range of cardio and resistance machinery as well as a free weights and stretching area. There is a class timetable with the range of classes available, as well as the sports hall and multi-use games area for a range of sports and activities.
What is needed in the future for the centre to flourish?
We need our local community to support the centre, so please come down and have a look at what we have to offer. If you have any ideas on services/activities that you would like to see, then please let us know by emailing ryeenquiries@freedom-leisure.co.uk
Thank you to all of you at Rye News for helping us to get the word out about Rye Sports Centre and I will let you know in the future when we have messages to get across to the community.
The centre offers may facilities to keep you fit no matter what your age including the swimming pool, a well equipped gym and various classes including Aqua Aerobics and it a great place to have a coffee. We all fought so hard to get the leisure centre back but it needs a good footfall to keep it viable.
Shirley Lancaster writes to explain how important the pool is to her:
"My journey over the last year and a half has been life changing , from last year learning to open water swim which is my happy place, being in the water I could do so much compared to being on land gradually losing balance and feeling in my legs."Then in November I could no longer even swim, finally in December I was diagnosed with a tumour in my spinal cord which would paralyse me if not removed."I had surgery and had to relearn to walk with physio and hydro therapy and land based physio now and wanting desperately to swim again. The timing was perfect, Rye pool was to reopen so I would be able to carry on my water based exercises and relearn to swim. The pool is so clean and the handrails and easy access of the long slope is so perfect and the first time I went the staff even offered to help me with access into the pool if I needed it."I think it is the nicest pool in the area and so easy to get to I'm back in my happy place as I feel better in the water than on land, looking forward to many more swim and well done to everyone whose have worked to get it open again swimming is such a good exercise for everyone. Thank you to all."
