Antrim and Newtownabbey's Award-Winning Leisure Team

Antrim and Newtownabbey's Leisure team were awarded Best Service Team of the Year: Sports and Leisure Services at the APSE Service Awards in Liverpool, recognising their commitment to creating healthier, happier and more active communities.

Serving a diverse population of more than 145,000 residents, the team has worked to ensure its leisure offer is accessible and inclusive for all. Through the introduction of innovative technologies and facility improvements, including new accessible golf buggies at Allen Park and automated tee systems at Ballyearl Driving Range, the service has reduced barriers to participation and enabled more residents to enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits of leisure activities.

In addition to its sports and leisure provision, the council has engaged almost 29,000 residents through their high-impact, prevention-focused health programme. The positive impact of this work is far-reaching, with 2,104 residents supported through targeted mental health initiatives, 1,275 participants in cardiac rehabilitation programmes, and more than 23,000 residents taking part in Age-Friendly programmes.

The service is not only helping individuals to live healthier lives but is also making a significant contribution to the wider community through major events, sports development and community engagement initiatives. Through the delivery of the PEACEPLUS programme, the service is actively supporting community cohesion across the borough. This includes the creation of a new skatepark in Antrim and a programme of engagement with 30 local schools over the next 12 months.

The breadth of the council's offer is reflected in the success of the service's membership uptake, with a record-breaking 14,000 residents now benefitting from membership. Participation has also continued to grow across the borough, with leisure centres welcoming more than 2.5 million visits in 2025 alone. The service has also achieved significant financial success with Allen Park, Valley Leisure Centre and Ballyearl Leisure Centre all operating at a surplus.

The council has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to delivering high-quality sports and leisure services for residents, investing £6 million over a five-year period to enhance facilities, expand energy projects and improve customer experiences. This has included the installation of controlled LED pitch floodlights, the replacement of internal doors to improve heat retention, the upgrade of swimming pool pumps to improve efficiency, and the installation of new generators to strengthen operational resilience.

As the service looks to the future, it aims to build on its success by increasing participation, reducing energy consumption and continuing to innovate to provide exceptional value to residents.