Registered charity and leisure operator, BH Live has taken over the contract to run the leisure offering of Southampton City Council.

The contract includes the council’s sports pitches as well as a swimming and diving complex and three leisure centres. One of the leisure centres, the Outdoor Sports Centre, is currently undergoing a multi-million pound refurbishment by Morgan Sindall, designed by Architecture PLB. Work started this June and is due for completion in 2027.

Supported by the Levelling Up Fund, Southampton City Council, and the Football Foundation, the redevelopment will create a new two-storey community hub with two covered netball and tennis courts; a gym and fitness suite with accessible changing rooms; flexible space for sporting clubs and the public to use and a café with a landscape seating terrace, including a balcony.

The former Boating Lake will be transformed into a Family Zone, providing skateboarding facilities, a cycling pump track, play equipment and a picnic space in a landscaped setting.

The athletics facilities will be improved with a new grandstand, pavilion, toilets and a first aid room.

The Alpine Snowsports Centre will benefit from a new ski lodge and reception, along with changing facilities, kit storeroom, and toilet facilities. There will also be a new learner slope and resurfacing of existing slopes.

Three new artificial grass football pitches will be added, one for 11-a-side and two for nine-a-side matches, alongside the existing two junior pitches with improved drainage.

The hockey and cricket pitches will also have upgrades.

Southampton City Council hopes the new facilities will create jobs and opportunities as well as improve health inequalities. Broadening access with affordable, community-focused health and wellbeing activities to drive up participation levels, will be a focus for BH Live.

CEO, Jon Workman, says: “We are proud to begin this new chapter with Southampton City Council. Our charitable mission is to improve community health and wellbeing by making access to sport and leisure more affordable and enjoyable for people of all ages and abilities.

“In partnership with Southampton City Council, we endeavour to inspire more residents to enjoy the benefits of a healthier, more active lifestyle while ensuring the city’s vital leisure facilities thrive for generations to come.”

BH Live operates sports and leisure centres, theatres and event venues in Dorset, Hampshire, and London, in partnership with BCP Council, Portsmouth City Council and Croydon Council.

Workman will be talking in further depth about BH Live's work in an upcoming issue of ​​HCM. Sign up here for a free digital subscription