Exciting future for Huncote Leisure Centre
A new era of partnership working will bring bigger and better sports and community facilities to Huncote Leisure Centre.
Blaby District Council and its leisure provider Everyone Active are joining forces with Leicester Athena Volleyball Club, Volleyball England and organisers of Huncote Community Library to enhance provision at the Sports Field Lane complex.
Work will start in the main sports hall on Monday 20 July to install volleyball nets. This will allow women's volleyball club Leicester Athena to use the centre as its new permanent home, hosting both local and national competitions.
Meanwhile, volunteers at Huncote Community Library will be transferring books, furniture and equipment over the coming weeks from their previous base at Huncote Methodist Church Hall.
The library is now closed and needs to vacate the church hall building after the church shut down.
Thanks to external funding, one of the under-used squash courts at Huncote will be refurbished to provide a new home for the library. It is hoped the space will also support wider community activities and involvement.
An independent fundraiser has also been set up by Huncote Community Library to assist with new books and equipment. It can be found here: Save Huncote community Library
These projects are part of wider work to manage land around the leisure centre, which was previously used as a landfill site. The aim is to rewild the area and ensure it can be safely used as community green space.
An information event offering detail on developments at Huncote will take place on Saturday 8 August from 10am to 12 noon.
District Council officers and parish council representatives will be on hand to talk about the history of the site and exciting future plans. Members of Leicester Athena will be offering volleyball taster sessions and library volunteers will be outlining hopes for their new home. Police and fire service officials will also be in attendance providing general community safety advice.
Councillor Nigel Grundy, Blaby District Council Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood Services and Assets, said: "This is an amazing example of partnership working at its very best to bring about improvements in sport and leisure provision.
"We're delighted to welcome Leicester Athena Volleyball Club as well as Huncote Community Library and look forward to seeing the leisure centre become a new hub of sporting excellence and neighbourhood activity."
Councillor Nick Chapman, Blaby District Council Portfolio Holder for Health, Community and Economic Development, added: "We've always been proud of our leisure provision with long-standing partner Everyone Active. These new alliances will breathe a whole new life into Huncote Leisure Centre. Not only will it become a focus for volleyball excellence but the relocation of the library will bring fresh opportunities for community activities and engagement."
Volleyball England Chief Executive Officer Charlie Ford said: "We are incredibly excited to be part of this first-of-its-kind project for volleyball, creating a new home for Leicester Athena Volleyball Club at Huncote Leisure Centre. This is far more than a court refurbishment. The project creates a sustainable, high-quality facility that will support participation, performance and community volleyball for years to come.
"We also hope this becomes much more than a local success story. We will be using Huncote Leisure Centre as a case study to demonstrate what is possible when clubs, local authorities, funding partners and governing bodies work together. We hope it inspires similar projects across the country. We want to create more dedicated volleyball facilities and permanent homes for clubs, strengthening the sport for future generations."
Paul Kaeger, from Leicester Athena, said: "This is an exciting opportunity for us at Leicester Athena which will allow us to have a permanent home and allow us to develop women’s volleyball in the area. We are hoping the new facility will allow us to bring more girls and women into the sport and to create a volleyball hub."
Councillor Nigel Grundy
Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood Services and Assets
Councillor Nick Chapman
Portfolio Holder for Health, Community and Economic Development