Rainham Leisure Centre set for public opening next month

A new multi-million pound leisure centre is set to open its doors to the public next month.

Rainham Leisure Centre, built on the site of Rainham Recreation Ground in Viking Way, will offer facilities like a dance and spin studio, a 75-station fitness suite and a six-lane swimming pool.

Havering Council revealed the location of the centre to be Rainham Recreation Ground in January 2020, with an initial opening date earmarked for 2021.

But work to build the centre was delayed due to Covid-19.

In July last year, it was estimated that the construction will be completed in June 2023.

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On January 31 this year, a ‘topping-out ceremony’ was held to celebrate the final piece of the centre’s external site being completed.

The council has now announced that the centre will be opened next month. It will be handed over to Everyone Active, the company that runs the leisure centres in the borough, on July 1.

But the swimming pool and other ‘wet facilities’ will not be open until later this summer.

Ray Morgon, leader of Havering Council, said the council “continues to be impressed” by the new facilities at the leisure centre.

He added: “Seeing the project delivered on time is such fantastic work by all the contractors involved”.

Cllr Morgon called it a “wonderful asset” not only for the community in Rainham, but for the whole borough.

He said: “I’m really looking forward to seeing the centre being enjoyed as a place to stay healthy through exercise, and also somewhere for people of all ages to meet and socialise.”

Tom Fletcher, area contract manager at Everyone Active, revealed that the fitness suite and dance studio are already set to be open “earlier than planned”.

He added: “It’s an exciting time for Everyone Active as we can physically see all the hard work onsite coming together ahead of the opening.”