The Folkestone Sports Centre – next steps

The Folkestone Sports Centre closed its doors in July 2024.  After a lot of work behind the scenes, and with financial support from the Roger De Haan Charitable Trust, The Sports Trust was able to purchase the building and take on the asset for Folkestone.  Dan Hulme, CEO of The Sports Trust spoke to Folkelife about the issues facing the Trust and the re-opening of the Centre as a sustainable community asset.

“The first thing I’d say is the Trust that ran the Sports Centre before July 2024 had contributed so much to community sport for a long time.  But, there were challenges as the building got older; Covid hit, utility prices went up, the minimum wage went up, disposable income went down thus reducing regular users to the Centre, and all of these facilities have struggled.

“There was, perhaps, a lack of investment in some areas, and there are always things we can do to improve.  But the Sports Centre got to a point where it was no longer manageable, and debts had risen to a point where Administrators were called in.”

roger de haan charitable trust

“We’ve worked alongside the Administrators for the past year, and with the Roger De Haan Charitable Trust who have enabled us to purchase and secure the building. There have been some legal challenges in the set up, and the fact that it’s a 50 year old building, has meant that it’s taken a while to get things sorted, but we took over in late Spring.

“The next step was to have a condition survey and to really understand the condition of the building.  We had done work leading up to taking the Centre on, but we need to understand the different options available to us as to how to run the building. We, as The Sports Trust, run two other buildings in Folkestone, and we want to be around for at least the next 50 years.  It was a calculated risk to take on a third building, with swimming pools, but we want to open this building to serve our community in the best way possible.”

the swimming pool

“We all agree that the district needs a swimming pool. With support from Folkestone and Hythe District Council, the RDHCT and from many others in the area, we are comfortable that we can secure and deliver that asset for the community.  We are still at a point where we are investigating what else we can deliver. 

“By virtue of Three Hills being next door, we hope the two centres can work together really well.  Yes, there’s a road in between, but essentially they’re part of one big green sports hub to serve our community.”

Updating the building

“We do have a 50-year-old building, with 50-year-old wiring.  And since the building has been closed, there are a number of new or updated building standards that are required to be in place before opening.  We have had surveys completed now which give us a better understanding of the situation, and although there is a lot of work to do, overall we’re comfortable with the plan ahead.

“The pool has continued to be maintained, which is a good thing.  But we couldn’t just open the Centre for people to access the pool, as there are a significant number of works still needed for the Centre to be sustainable for the future.  Included in this, the changing facilities are not compliant.  We would like look at the building as a whole to ensure it is fit for purpose, so we have an outcome that serves both the community need and the long-term sustainability of sport in the district. That said, we have now completed these works and are aiming for the pool to be open for the community by the summer of 2026.”

other facilities

“We are currently working on the plan for which facilities in the building are able to open in order for the site to be viable.  As a sports charity, our job is to remove barriers to sport, and the more sport we can provide, the better.  However, we need to be realistic and pragmatic as to what is feasible and sustainable. 

“We are working diligently on the wider project and will continue to keep the public informed as progress and decisions are made. The interest, encouragement, and kind words from the community have been deeply appreciated. This is a collective effort, and we thank everyone who has contributed so far and continues to offer help and support.“

the funding

“For us to be able to deliver this, we must consider all funding options. We will certainly be working with various sources including charitable trusts and foundations and fundraising.  We are already grateful to Sport England and the Swimming Pool Fund who have provided the initial funding for upgrading the pumps and pool infrastructure, the pool project is now underway.”

folkestone and hythe district council

“This is a privately owned pool, but it’s very important to the Council that we have this facility within our community.  They have been incredibly supportive throughout the process from the time it was shut, to getting to where we are today.  I know they are looking to help us in any way they can, and we are very grateful for all their support so far; they’ve been excellent.”