Brandon Leisure and Health Hub is set for a fresh round of refurbishment works, as West Suffolk Council directs further funding into the much-used town-centre facility through its newly created Leisure Investment Fund.
The Hub — owned by West Suffolk Council and operated by not-for-profit social enterprise Abbeycroft — is one of several sites across the district to benefit from the £3.5m Fund, agreed by the Council as part of its two-year balanced budget in February 2026. The Fund is designed to deliver new and improved leisure facilities across the whole of West Suffolk, supporting residents’ health and wellbeing while reducing energy use and running costs across the council’s leisure estate.
At Brandon, the gym is being upgraded to include:
- Brand new gym equipment
- Modern flooring in the fitness suite
- New LED lighting
- Contemporary redecoration
- Improved functional training
Warren Smyth, Chief Executive of Abbeycroft, said:
“Brandon Leisure and Health Hub has always been about more than just sport — it’s a genuine community hub, bringing fitness, health and wellbeing services together for local people. This new investment from West Suffolk Council allows us to take that ambition a step further by refreshing and improving the facilities our members rely on and making the building greener and cheaper to run in the long term. We’re delighted to be working once again with the Council to deliver real, visible improvements for the Brandon community.”
Cllr Ian Shipp, Cabinet Member for Leisure at West Suffolk Council, said:
“It is great that Brandon will be the first to benefit from the Leisure Investment Fund created by the council to support upgrading leisure centre facilities across the whole district.
“We are committed to working with Abbeycroft on targeted enhancements to support the health and wellbeing of residents to help them thrive within our communities. Investing in energy efficiency improvements at the leisure centres helps secure a more environmentally resilient and financially stable future, ensuring the centres can keep providing key services in years to come.”
The refurbishment is the latest chapter in a long-running partnership between West Suffolk Council and Abbeycroft, who together manage six facilities across West Suffolk. The Hub sits next to Brandon’s Remembrance Playing Fields and offers a gym, fitness studio, sports hall, squash court, an outdoor all-weather pitch and a wellbeing hub, alongside co-located NHS services.
Disruption to members will be kept to a minimum during the works, with just one week of gym closure from 12–19 August. Members will be contacted directly with further details.
Find out more about the refurbishment.
