Whitchurch Swimming & Fitness Centre wins national aquatics award
The Shropshire Community Leisure Trust team at the UK Pool & Spa Awards.
News from our partners
Whitchurch Swimming & Fitness Centre has been the named the 2025 UK Pool & Spa Awards – Water Leisure Venue of the Year.
The multi-purpose facility, which is located in Whitchurch town centre, opened in March 2025. It features a multi-use community swimming pool with six lanes, a moveable floor, and built-in retractable steps to support swimmers with physical disabilities or confidence challenges.
Inclusive sessions such as Aquafit and Good Boost are consistently full, demonstrating the centre’s thriving role in promoting health, wellbeing and community engagement. Since opening, the facility has welcomed over 90,000 visitors through its doors.
Rhys Collins, Partnership Manager for Shropshire Community Leisure Trust, which operates the centre in partnership with Serco Leisure, said:
“I am so proud of our team! Winning this award in our first year of operation shows the hard work and dedication the whole team have been putting in. Thank you to everyone who works at Whitchurch Swimming & Fitness Centre, supporting customers week in and week out to lead more active, healthier lives.
“I would also want to thank to congratulate our operating partner, Serco Leisure, which for the seventh time in eight years was named Water Leisure Operator of the Year. A tremendous achievement!”
James Owen, portfolio holder for housing and leisure, said:
It’s fantastic to see Whitchurch Swimming & Fitness Centre recognised at a national level for its contribution to community wellbeing and leisure excellence.
This reflects the hard work of the team and the value of continued investment in high-quality, accessible facilities for residents across Shropshire, who deliver a really excellent service.
For more information about the centre, please visit its website: https://www.shropshireleisurecentres.com/whitchurch-swimming-fitness-centre/
Shrewsbury Sports Village, the Quarry, Oswestry Leisure Centre, Market Drayton Swimming & Fitness Centre, Whitchurch Swimming & Fitness Centre and SpArC Bishops Castle are operated by Shropshire Community Leisure Trust in partnership with Serco Leisure, on behalf of Shropshire Council.
For further information, please contact:
Alan Mitchell
Communications Manager
Email: Alan.mitchell@serco.com
Tel: 07764 333 639
Notes to editors:
About Shropshire Community Leisure Trust
Shropshire Community Leisure Trust manages the Whitchurch Swimming Centre, Market Drayton Swimming Pool, Oswestry Leisure Centre, Shrewsbury Sports Village and The Quarry Swimming Pools.
Our vision is the creation and maintenance of a first-class range of healthy leisure and recreational activities and facilities to serve all parts of the communities in the areas we serve.
We work in partnership with the community and all relevant bodies including but not restricted to existing providers of relevant leisure and recreational activities, the Local and Parish Councils, County and Town Councils and potential funding partners. For more information, visit our website: Shropshire Community Leisure Trust
About Serco Leisure
Our vision is to help our customers make more of every day. We run gyms, swimming pools, event venues and National Sports Centres, including Bisham Abbey, Lillieshall and the National Water Sports Centre at Holme Pierrepont Country Park. For more information about the company, visit its webpage: https://www.serco.com/uk/sector-expertise/citizen-services/leisure-services. We run gyms, swimming pools, event venues and major sports facilities like Lilleshall National Sports Centre, Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre, the National Water Sports Centre at Holme Pierrepont Country Park and Stoke Mandeville Stadium, the birthplace of the Paralympic movement.
About Serco
Serco brings together the right people, the right technology and the right partners to create innovative solutions that make a positive impact and address some of the most urgent and complex challenges facing the modern world.
With a primary focus on serving governments globally, Serco’s services are powered by more 50,000 people working across defence, space, migration, justice, healthcare, mobility and customer services.
Serco’s core capabilities include service design and advisory, resourcing, complex programme management, systems integration, case management, engineering, and asset & facilities management.
Underpinned by Serco’s unique operating model, Serco drives innovation and supports customers from service discovery through to delivery.
More information can be found at www.serco.com
