Celebrating the first anniversary of the Eclipse leisure centre

Leader of the Council Cllr Joanne Sexton, the Mayor Cllr John Doran, and special guest Diana Moran BEM, the iconic ‘Green Goddess’ fitness expert, were joined by residents, councillors and staff for the day’s celebrations. The event included a guided tour of the centre’s state-of-the-art facilities, culminating in the unveiling of a commemorative plaque. Throughout the day, families enjoyed a packed programme of activities including swimming, active play and bounce, clip and climb, free gymnastics and personal training taster sessions and face painting. The Mayor cut a cake to mark the centre’s first birthday and contributions to selected activities were also donated to the Mayor’s charities.

Opened in October 2024, the multi-award winning facility was developed to replace an ageing leisure centre, with a focus on future-proofing local health and wellbeing needs. It features state-of-the-art facilities including swimming pools, a large gym, sports halls, squash courts, rooftop 3G pitches and more. The Centre currently has over 5,500 members.

Designed for minimal environmental impact, Eclipse has been built to Passivhaus standards, incorporating innovative technologies like heat recovery and water-saving microfiltration systems.

Eclipse has been shortlisted for numerous construction and environmental awards including the National Sustainability Awards and Constructing Excellence SECBE Awards. The Centre won silver at the iESE Public Sector Transformation Awards earlier in the year, was named Leisure Facility of the Year by Business Awards UK in August, and this month was crowned Retail and Leisure Project of the Year at the Structural Timber Awards.

Cllr Susan Doran, Chair of Spelthorne Borough Council's Community Wellbeing and Housing Committee, said: “We’re incredibly proud of what the Eclipse has achieved in just one year, not only in terms of participation and community benefit, but also in setting a new standard for sustainable public facilities. A huge thank you to all the members, visitors and staff for making this first year such a success.”

Duncan Mackay, Contract Manager, for Places Leisure, said: ‘’It has been a very busy year for the team and we continue to be thrilled to be involved in such a prestigious facility which is becoming a real community hub for social interactions, attaining fitness goals and above all having fun.”

To find out more about the Eclipse Leisure Centre, visit  https://www.placesleisure.org/centres/eclipse-leisure-centre/