Council champions residents’ health and wellbeing

Ashfield residents are healthier and happier than ever says a report published by Ashfield District Council.

Huge improvements to leisure facilities, free Council-run family events and support for residents during the cost-of-living crisis are some of the published highlights in the 2022/23 Health and Wellbeing annual report.

The ‘Be Healthy Be Happy’ report gives real examples of how the Ashfield Health and Wellbeing partnership are making progress towards reducing the health inequalities within the district.

In August 2022 the Council opened the brand new £15.5m Kirkby Leisure Centre. The Centre boasts a 4-lane swimming pool with splash pad for younger children and a poolpod for accessible pool entry; a multi-use sports hall that converts into a community cinema, to provide regular film screenings at a low cost; 85 station gym, a soft play area and fun climbing wall, a sensory room, to support children and adults with learning and behavioural support needs and a health hub.

In an effort to improve facilities in every town, in July Hucknall Leisure Centre opened a new teaching pool as part of the Council’s overall £24m investment into leisure facilities across the District. The Lammas Centre in Sutton has also seen significant investment into new facilities. Attendances at leisure centres in Kirkby, Sutton and Hucknall between 1 April 2002 and 31 March 2023 have increased by over 250,000 to 1,348,688 in total.

The cost-of-living crisis continues to challenge thousands of residents within Ashfield. With rising costs including food and fuel, Council services and partners are working together to provide much needed support. Ashfield District Council launched an online cost-of-living hub on its website and produced a special edition of the Ashfield Matters quarterly magazine which was delivered though every door in the District. The magazine provided information about benefits, free events and activities, warm rooms, local services to provide

residents with relevant information. The Council also provided grants to local voluntary sectors providing key support. As part of the Feeding Ashfield project, allotment holders are linking up with nearby food banks, donating any surplus produce as and when they are able.

During the course of 2022/23 the Council has organised and delivered a range of free events for residents throughout the year including Ashfield Day in August 2022 which saw over 12,000 people attend, Christmas markets in Kirkby, Sutton and Hucknall, the Kings Coronation at Titchfield Park in May and open-air cinema events at Selston Country Park which have all been well attended.

Ashfield Day 2023 took place on Saturday 5 August at Sutton Lawn and was enjoyed by thousands of residents and the Ashfield Food and Drink festival in Hucknall is planned for Sunday 20 August.

Ashfield District Council Executive Lead Member for Leisure, Health and Wellbeing, Chris Huskinson said: “The health and wellbeing of residents is the Council’s number one priority. The report highlights many of the exciting initiatives we’ve been working on and it’s extremely rewarding for us to see that residents appreciate the efforts we have made. The number of residents engaged in health and wellbeing activities such as going to a leisure centre or attending an outdoor event is highly encouraging and it’s a message we’ll continue to promote for the next twelve months too.”

A copy of the report is available on the Council's website.