The past couple of years have been more challenging than ever for Nottinghamshire’s community centres and hubs. In recent times of austerity many have seen their funding cut, despite their services being needed more than ever. However, shining out like a beacon is The Lenton Centre, which will soon be celebrating twenty years of independent community ownership. We spoke to Ben Rawson and Amy Whitmore about the challenges of providing a charity and providing a swimming pool, gym, café and quite a lot more to the residents of NG7…
Firstly, what can you tell us a bit about the history of this place?
Ben: Our building first opened as a washhouse in 1931. At a time before most people had bathrooms and washing machines at home, it offered local people somewhere to come and bathe and wash, dry and iron their clothes. In 1966 a public swimming pool was added and over the following decades a gym and various other features became part of the centre. The centre was then owned by Nottingham City Council, but in 2004 they closed it down. However, in 2005 a collective of local people known as the Lenton Community Association bought the building off them for £10. They re-opened the gym within weeks, but it took until 2008 to re-open the swimming pool. Lots has changed over those two decades, but we remain under community ownership to this day.
What are your roles at the centre?
Ben: I’m the Managing Director. My role includes the day-to-day running of the charity and supporting the team of 26 people who work here. I’m responsible for the upkeep of the building, which includes organising contractors to carry out work, liaising with our funders and securing grants for capital work. I report to a board of trustees who look at how to grow the charity and develop the building and our services.
Amy: I’m the Co-ordinator for Quackers Swim School and DSSwim. I’ve spent twelve years working in the fitness industry and I’m passionate about promoting physical health and mental wellbeing. I oversee the swimming programme, ensuring lessons run smoothly, instructors are supported and swimmers of all ages are progressing confidently and safely. A big part of my role involves developing lesson plans, supporting our teaching staff and engaging with parents to track swimmer progress.
What’s the best thing about your job?
Amy: We’re teaching people a life-saving skill that will stay with them forever. Whether it's a child taking their first strokes or an adult overcoming a lifelong fear, watching their progress and knowing these skills could one day save someone’s life is what makes this job so meaningful. It's about empowering people with something truly lasting.
Ben: I really enjoy supporting the team and helping them to build new skills and confidence. We’re always encouraging input from our staff and customers and I love seeing their eyes light up when they are proposing fresh ideas for activities and growing the charity.
We are always looking for innovative ideas to bring people together. Supporting peoples physical and mental health is at the core of everything we do
There’s quite a lot of squeeze happening for community hubs across the county right now. Do you have any advice for others feeling the pinch?
Ben: Firstly we’re all in the same boat. We’ve all been affected by soaring utility costs, the increase in national insurance and the removal of business rates support for charities. So there’s an increased reliance on grant funding to help maintain the building and deliver our services. It’s competitive, but funding can come from a variety of sources including, the National Lottery, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, lots of smaller trusts and just some kind-hearted local people making donations to us. Chloe, our office supervisor, spends a good portion of her time looking for funding opportunities and applying for them and while we are not successful with every application, at the moment we secure enough funding to support us.
Amy: One piece of advice for any charity that has a building is to understand that every square inch of the space has a value, when funding is applied for the cost of the space is included in the costings along with wage costs for team members that will be delivering the sessions, so it is essential that these are covered to support the longevity of any charity.
You also run a programme called Guidance and Growth. Can you tell us a bit about that?
Ben: Guidance and Growth is a community group set up to support people, primarily men aged 18 to 50, to help each other through tough times by doing positive things and sharing their lived experience. The group rents a space in the basement of The Lenton Centre, where we have a fully kitted out woodwork workshop for people to learn new skills, repair an item of furniture and join others for a cuppa and chat. The group is also branching out of the centre with community gardening projects at; Thomas Helwys Baptist Church in Lenton, Edwards Lane Community Centre in Sherwood, and at Pepper’s Park near ASDA in Hyson Green. We’re in the process of planting vegetables and flowers across these sites and involving the community in what’s grown there.
Tell us about the local community in Lenton and what a facility like this means to them…
Amy: Lenton is a diverse, close-knit community with a good mixture of young people, families, older residents and a more transient population of students. A facility like The Lenton Centre is vital, offering all of these affordable access to health, fitness and wellbeing activities right on their doorstep. However, we are more than just a leisure centre; we are a safe, inclusive space where people connect, stay active, and support their physical and mental health.
What does the future hold for The Lenton Centre over the next few years?
Ben: We are on the journey to become greener as a centre, recently we have received funding to replace the roof over the pool and install solar panels, which will reduce heating costs and make sure our water stays warmer for the swimmers. We are always looking for innovative ideas to bring people together. Supporting peoples physical and mental health is at the core of everything we do. So we are looking at more social activities too, like film or games nights. We’ll be launching a new cafe area over the summer and making more use of our basement area to create a gallery and event space. More immediately, this year is our 20th birthday, so we’re organising a summer party where we’ll be showcasing a range of activities, swim sessions and more. Follow us on our socials and website for more details.
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