The Louisa Centre

This momentous redevelopment of a beloved fixture of Stanley, County Durham, forms part of the council’s multi-million pound investment in transforming its leisure facilities.

Alliance Leisure, having worked with the council for many years across a variety of projects, were acutely aware of the needs of the client: to provide outstanding yet accessible leisure facilities to a local community that, per Mosaic reports and on-the-ground research and knowledge, contains many people suffering long term mental and physical health conditions.

By utilising the UK Leisure Framework, as has been the case for the other projects in the council’s transformation programme, the pre-construction process ran effectively, and leisure industry experts were brought in from an early stage to provide their invaluable input. 

The centre’s existing sports hall has been repurposed to offer five multi-sports courts as well as a large TAG Active indoor assault course and a climbing facility. The site now offers three exercise studios including a dedicated group cycling studio and a virtual offer.

A new Move Hub featuring power-assisted equipment from Innerva offers a safe and sociable exercise and rehabilitation space for those who need support to get moving or with long-term health conditions.

Other facilities include a larger children’s soft play area with interactive play features and a new café offering healthy options.

Essential maintenance works were also carried out at the centre’s 25m pool and teaching pool.  Focusing primarily within the plant room, the work will lower the centre’s emissions and help improve the sustainability of the building.

To ensure the resounding success of the Louisa Centre’s new facilities, the team at TA6 created a bespoke launch campaign. 

Featuring a variety of digital content, the campaign targeted different consumer groups based on the new facilities that would appeal to them. For example, people with families were shown the soft play and TAGactive products.

The multi-channel campaign encompassed Google, Facebook, and YouTube, as well as having a presence on screens within Durham County Council’s other leisure facilities.