A FORMER navy leisure centre now used by the community will be celebrating its ninth anniversary this year.

Osprey Leisure Centre in Castletown on Portland will host an open day to celebrate the event, as it continues to engage with local people.

Nigel Williams, general manager at the leisure centre, has been looking back at the centre’s eventful past and praised the local community for continuing to support its facilities.

Ten years ago, the South Dorset Community Sports Trust put together a bid to keep the leisure centre open for the public after it was vacated by the Royal Navy.

Mr Williams was appointed to the board of the trust, having previously managed four leisure centres in the east of the county.

In 2007, the trust finally secured the centre and officially opened it on May 1 that year.

As part of its opening, members of the community voted for a string of initiatives to help improve the centre and to help it start generating income. With energy savings named as a top priority, improvements started with a new cover for the pool, low energy lighting, new chemical dosing and the installation of solar panels on the roof.

Over the years, the centre has made gradual improvements through small investments, and in 2012, the centre received Olympic Games funding.

This allowed it to install three new gym areas, plus a café in the reception foyer.

Since it was reopened in 2007, the visitor numbers have almost tripled from around 35,000 per year, to now topping 100,000 per year.

Mr Williams said: “My initial reasons for becoming involved in trying to keep Osprey Leisure Centre open to the public and for helping the trustees have been vindicated and with the help of the local community we have a really successful and vibrant facility that is open to everyone, residents, visitors and the wider Dorset community.”

The centre has also led the way in introducing new technology for renewable energy.

Mr Williams managed to secure the services of national company ESG Pool Ventilation, who wished to use a site as a test venue for some technology, which included a new power source which reduced gas consumption by 75 per cent.

Spending on utilities is currently one sixth of what it would have been had no investment occurred over the last few years.

On January 2016, the centre will host a free open day from 10am until 2.30pm when members and non-members can will be invited to have a tour around the facilities at the centre, try out some new activities and enjoy refreshments in the Café. The event will start at 10am and will be open all day until 2.30pm, with free entry. For more information please call 01305 824378 or visit ospreyleisure.co.uk