Harrow Leisure Centre will mark the completion of a £1.4 million refurbishment this weekend, with residents invited to see the upgraded facilities during a special community open day.
The centre, on Christchurch Avenue in Wealdstone, will hold the event on Saturday 12 September following a programme of improvements carried out by Everyone Active as part of its new 10-year partnership with Harrow Council.
Changes include a fully refurbished gym, an expanded ladies-only gym, two larger group exercise studios and an enlarged group cycling studio.
Team GB sprinter Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, better known as Nitro from BBC’s Gladiators, will also be appearing during the day.
Nitro to appear at Harrow Leisure Centre
Aikines-Aryeetey, who represented Great Britain in athletics and won three Commonwealth Games medals during his career, is expected to be at the centre between around 10am and 2pm.
He will take part in a family talk and question-and-answer session, as well as a fitness session and opportunities for visitors to meet him.
Football freestyler Jamie Knight will also be appearing, with demonstrations and football skills sessions planned during the day.
Other activities include swimming sessions, group cycling, BodyPump, yoga, Zumba and Pilates, alongside activities for children including soft play, a bouncy castle and face painting.
Entry to the open day is free, although advance booking is required for some sessions and workshops.
£1.4m investment previously revealed
Earlier this year it was revealed that Everyone Active was investing around £1.4 million into Harrow Leisure Centre as part of its new management contract.
Council documents said the investment was aimed at improving the gym and increasing the size of group fitness and cycling areas.
The refurbishment is separate from a wider programme of council-funded maintenance work across Harrow’s leisure facilities.
In June, Harrow Online reported that more than £2.7 million had been earmarked for essential works at Harrow Leisure Centre, Hatch End Swimming Pool and Bannister Sports Centre.
Of that funding, around £1.9 million was allocated to Harrow Leisure Centre for work including repairs, flooring, boilers, electrical maintenance and other improvements required to keep the building operating safely.
Harrow Leisure Centre has seen major repairs
The latest investment follows a number of issues at the ageing leisure centre in recent years.
In March 2024, Harrow Leisure Centre’s swimming pools and sauna were temporarily closed after an inspection raised concerns about the ceiling above the pool area.
Specialist investigations and repair work followed, while the rest of the centre remained open.
The site itself has been a major leisure facility for generations of Harrow residents, with Harrow Online recently looking back at the history of its former outdoor swimming pool, which closed in the 1990s.
Saturday’s event will give residents a chance to see the latest changes to the centre following the £1.4m refurbishment.
Harrow Online will also be attending the open day.
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Chris Mitchell is the founder and editor of Harrow Online, Harrow’s leading local news platform.
He launched Harrow Online in 2010 as a Facebook page sharing local news and information. Since then, it has grown into a trusted source for breaking news, crime, council decisions, planning, transport, business and community stories across the borough.
Harrow Online reaches hundreds of thousands of readers each month and has a social media audience of more than 200,000 followers.
For news tips, press releases or enquiries, contact Chris at info@harrowonline.org.
