Sports and Leisure Centres

Welcome to the Sports and Leisure Centres section of the Islington council website. On the left hand side of this page you will find information covering all aspects of sport and leisure within Islington, and include:

• Where to do sport and physical activity in Islington - Active Islington, Find A Sports Club, Football Development, Leisure Centres, Tennis, Walking Programmes and Walks in Islington
• Information about sports clubs and coaching - Sport Islington, Start a Sports Club
• Organisations that support sport in Islington - Getting Involved (Access to Sports, ProActive Islington Partnership, School Sport Co-ordinator Programme), Sport - Useful Links, What The Leisure Team Does
• Business sponsorship of top young athletes in Islington - Islington Sporting Future
• Events held in 2010 - Go Islington, Proactive Festival
• London Olympic and Paralympic Games

Islington Sports and Leisure News

Free Zumba Classes For Women Aged 16 to 25

Free zumba classes for women aged 16 to 25 take place at The Healthy Living Youth Hub, White Lion Street, Islington, N1 9PY. Thursdays 1.15-2pm. Just turn up. Beginners welcome. Contact Nicola for more information: tel. 07762 787630; nicola.carmichael@aquaterra.org.

Find Out Where To Do Sport And Physical Activity In London And Islington

www.getactivelondon.com is a new website that has the most comprehensive list of sports activities and sports venues in London and Islington! Users are able to search via borough, postcode and keyword as well being able to narrow their search criteria to suit their specific needs.

www.getactivelondon.com is free to use. There are currently 4000 activities and venues listed in London, including over 200 in Islington. From junior football clubs to senior walking groups, there are activities for all residents.

Become a Sports Volunteer as part of Sport Makers

Sport Makers is a new national Olympic legacy programme that encourages people to take up sports volunteering.

Whether it's planning the route, finding the pitch or encouraging people to take part - sport doesn't just happen, it needs people to make it happen. Become one of 40,000 Sport Makers and you'll not only get the skills, knowledge and opportunities you need to get more people playing sport, you'll become part of the official London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic sports legacy.

Applicants are asked to attend a three hour workshop and then undertake 10 hours of volunteering. Go to the Sport Makers website for more information and to register.

Free Weekly 5k Run in Highbury Fields

Come along to a free 5k run in Highbury Fields that takes place every Saturday morning at 9am. It's an excellent way to start running if you are a beginner, or participate with others if you are an experienced runner. It is organised by parkrun, who hold more than 80 weekly events across the country. The event is supported by Islington Council

To enter all you need to do is register beforehand; it does not cost anything. Also, volunteers are wanted to help organise the event. Go to Highbury Fields parkrun for more information.

New Running Group in Islington

Angel City Runners is an established running group that has started running sessions in Islington. It meets every Wednesday, 7pm, near Highbury Corner. Runs are 6k to 12k and are open to people of all abilities, whether a beginner or a current runner.

Top Local Swimmer Receives Funding

Swimmer and Olympic hopeful Harry Needs (19) is the first recipient of the Islington Sporting Future £1500 sponsorship grant to help with training and other expenses. Harry is sponsored to the tune of £1000 by Mount Anvil Construction for a period of one year from July 2011, and has also received £500 from Sport Islington. For more information go to Islington Sporting Future.

Netball

Back to Netball comes to Islington! This is a nationwide scheme that encourages women to get back into netball. It offers a ten- to twelve-week coach-led sessions, covering the basics of game from chest passes to footwork. Whether it is about rediscovering sporting abilities you forgot you had, about getting active again or just meeting a group of like-minded ladies, these sessions cater for all abilities. Back to Netball helps get back into competitive play, enhance fitness or help to meet like minded women and have fun! Go to Netball for a session best for you.

Swimming Offer

Archway Leisure Centre, Cally Pool and Highbury Pool & Fitness Centre are part of Splashpath, which offers discounts on training and classes. Go to swimming offers and then scroll up on the map to find these three leisure centres.

Sobell Leisure Centre improvements

Islington Council is investing into the future of the Sobell Leisure Centre by carrying out essential repairs to the centre. These works help us to improve the centre’s  appearance efficiency and improve your customer experience. The works completed so far are:

• The introduction of a new semi sprung sports hall floor, improving the lighting and replacing the court dividers and nets. This was partly funded by London 2012 as the centre will be used for volleyball training at the Olympic Games
• Essential repairs and improvements to the heating, lighting and ventilation systems
• Some minor internal redecoration throughout the building and minor roof repairs
• The replacement of the squash court flooring, plus some redecoration
• Improvements to the health suite, including a new sauna and steam room
• A newly decorated gym.

For more information about the Sobell Centre visit Aquaterra.

Ironmonger Row Baths closed for refurbishment until summer 2012

Our £16 million refurbishment of Ironmonger Row Baths, co-funded with EC1 New Deal for Communities, continues to go well.

We would like to thank all our regular users of the pools, Turkish Baths and laundry for their custom and apologise for the inconvenience that closing the building will cause. We hope that when it re-opens you will find the improvements worth the wait. We will of course do our best to keep disruption to residents living close to the building to a minimum while the work is under way and will post you information about any local arrangements directly. For current information, go to www.islington.gov.uk/irb.

Sport Islington Website

Sport Islington website www.sportislington.co.uk is a one stop shop for individuals who want to find out about sport in Islington. On the website you will find information on:

• Local sports clubs
• Funding for sports clubs and individuals
• Coaching courses and training for club coaches or prospective coaches
• Resources for club development
• Local sports news

SportIslington is a voluntary group, funded and supported by Islington council. If you would like information on becoming a member of SportIslington, please visit www.sportislington.co.uk or email sportislington@islington.gov.uk.