Love Withington Baths, the not-for-profit organisation that operates community leisure centre Withington Baths and co-working space Withington Works, has emerged triumphant at the Locality 2023 Awards, winning the prestigious Enterprising Organisation Award.
The award honours community organisations that have demonstrated exceptional creativity in developing sustainable business models. Love Withington Baths was shortlisted alongside formidable contenders, Amble Development Trust and WECIL Ltd, making the victory a testament to the centre’s commitment to innovation and community impact.
Since becoming a Locality member in 2014, Love Withington Baths has been a part of the network’s mission to empower local organisations. Locality played a pivotal role in the initial takeover of the leisure centre by providing development funding. This support was instrumental in building a business case, enabling Love Withington Baths to demonstrate its viability to the Council and ensuring the facility would continue to serve the local community. Following a vociferous community campaign, the Love Withington Baths team took over The Baths in 2015 on an initial two-year arrangement, which has now been extended to a 25-year lease.
Representatives of Withington Baths, including Managing Director Paul Smith, Facility Manager Dennis Shannon, and Deputy Facility Manager Natalie Douglas, were in attendance at the Locality 2023 Conference and Awards Ceremony.
Paul Smith, Managing Director of Withington Baths commented, “This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team. We are proud to be part of the network and grateful for the support that has been instrumental in our success. This award motivates us to continue to find new ways of serving our community”.