Epsom & Ewell Borough Council is pleased to announce that Places Leisure has been appointed as the new operator of the Rainbow Leisure Centre. The contract will run from 1 October 2025 for 10 years with an option to extend for a further five years and was approved by both the council’s Community & Wellbeing and Strategy & Resources committees at special meetings held on 17 June 2025.

Residents will continue to receive high-quality leisure, health and wellbeing services and this council-owned leisure centre will continue to be financially sustainable.

Places Leisure, part of the PfP Group the UK’s Leading Social Enterprise, will invest its own capital into the leisure centre upgrading the gym, studios, swimming changing rooms and more.

They will also offer a wider range of health and wellbeing-related activities, delivered both inside and outside of the leisure centre, including:

• An Active Communities programme, including exercise referrals for falls prevention, cardiac rehab and weight management; community wellbeing walks, as well as programmes such as ‘move through menopause’ and Health MOTs, which will support local people in an inclusive way and enable the community to thrive.
• New leisure centre programmes targeted at under 16s and the elderly: including LES Mills exercises classes and Saturday Night Project activities for the under 16s and new EGYM and walking sports to help older adults be more physically active.

• Social value initiatives: such as work placement opportunities including for unemployed and disabled people; leisure industry careers advice and curriculum support; and supporting the local economy by keeping spending within the local supply chain.

Places Leisure will continue to invest in the environmental sustainability of the centre, this will be overseen by an environmental coordinator.

Councillor Neil Dallen, Chair of the Strategy & Resources Committee said:

“The Rainbow Leisure Centre is a key community facility due, in no small part, to the great work of Greenwich Leisure Limited, and we would like to convey our deep thanks for their hard work and efforts in operating the leisure centre over the last 22 years.

"As this is a significant contractual arrangement for the council, the operator of the centre is a key strategic partner. It was therefore important to us that for the foreseeable future, any operator could meet our core health and wellbeing service delivery requirements as well as our financial criteria.

"We carried out a transparent, compliant and competitive two-stage procurement process and are very pleased to welcome Places Leisure as the new operator of the Rainbow Leisure Centre. Their bid not only provided substantial investment to improve the building, upgrade areas and equipment, but also clearly showed how they will build on the current service.”

Councillor Clive Woodbridge, Chair of the Community & Wellbeing Committee said:

“I would like to welcome Places Leisure as operator of the Rainbow Leisure Centre, and we look forward to working together to deliver more holistic health and wellbeing services to meet the needs of residents.

"The leisure centre is a vital community space and part of Places Leisure’s offering is that they will provide an inclusive and robust active communities programme that will continue to address the council’s health and wellbeing priorities.

"This exciting new approach will benefit residents as it means that services can be delivered both at the leisure centre itself as well as in the community, supporting all our residents, including the young and the elderly and those with a disability or illness. We look forward to our residents benefitting from this balanced and more comprehensive approach to health and wellbeing in the borough.

"Finally, I would also like to offer my thanks to Greenwich Leisure Limited for their diligence and hard work including through challenging times such as Covid. They leave a positive legacy on which we can build.”

Dan Walker, Business Development Director at Places Leisure, said:

“A healthy community cannot exist without the facilities that enables it to thrive. Rainbow Leisure Centre is the beating heart of this community, and we look forward to a successful partnership with Epsom and Ewell Borough Council, local stakeholders, and of course the colleagues who deliver the services to the local community.

“Our primary goal is to support the local community to create more active places and empower more healthy people, which is why within the first year of our contract we will invest c£4.7million in a series of projects including a new fitness suite, studios and changing facilities. Our commitment will further boost community activities, inspire people of all ages to lead an active and healthy lifestyle, whilst generating over £5million of social value each year.”