Barnet (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Barnet’s Labour council cites rising leisure centre attendance as proof that its community participation initiatives are delivering successful local engagement.
In 2024–2025, 1,661,819 people visited the centers individually, a 5% rise over 2023–2024, which was a 10% improvement over 2023–2024.
Barnet Labour ascribes this “increase in numbers” to efforts to increase involvement, such as the “Get Active, Give it a Go!” program, which provided a variety of activities in leisure centers for free or at a reduced cost.
Commenting on the figures, the council’s cabinet member for culture, leisure, art and sports, Anne Clarke, said:
“The Conservatives ran the council with a lack of direction or drive. There was a real sense of drift over areas like participation in sport and leisure.
Barnet Labour is determined to deliver, and the results are there to see. It’s great our residents are using our leisure centres more than they have done in years.”
Which leisure centres in Barnet have seen the most significant rise in attendance?
According to an engagement report conducted between December 2022 and February 2023, 61.7% of survey respondents were current users of Finchley Lido, with many using it regularly over several years. Swimming is the most commonly used facility there. However, there is also notable feedback about the condition of the facility being a reason some people do not or no longer use it.
Despite this, Finchley Lido remains a key leisure centre in Barnet with long-term users and a broad catchment area.
Among respondents who preferred alternatives to Finchley Lido or other centres, Barnet Copthall Leisure Centre was the most popular, with over half (53.6%) indicating it as their preferred Barnet council leisure facility.