Your nearest centre is:
Your nearest centre is:
ALL CENTRES WILL TEMPORARILY CLOSE FROM THURSDAY 5 NOVEMBER AND ARE SCHEDULED TO REOPEN ON THURSDAY 3 DECEMBER.
BUT WE ARE STILL HERE FOR YOU!
Stay connected with us during the latest lockdown.
This lockdown doesn’t mean a pause to lead a healthier and active lifestyle…we can keep you active at home, just for a short while, until we’re able to open again.
Follow the link below to ‘Abbeycroft at Home’.
Suffolk’s largest health and fitness provider
We are a not-for-profit social enterprise, which means we re-invest any financial surplus back into our services.
What goes in stays in!
We work for the whole community, providing quality facilities and opportunities to lead a healthier, active lifestyle.
gyms
Whether you’re just starting your fitness journey or you’re someone who can’t live without it, you’ll find everything you need at an Abbeycroft gym.
Fitness Classes
Fitness classes are a great way to stay motivated and with over 600 classes a week to choose from, you’ll find something that you love
Swimming
Swimming is a great all-round exercise, working almost every muscle in your body without putting stress on your joints, so it’s an ideal workout if you prefer something with less impact.
Children's activities
We’ve go the whole family covered – school holiday day camps, soft play areas, junior gym memberships and action packed climbing experiences are just a few
Memberships
Our great value memberships include gym, swim and fitness classes, swim only and Platinum for our exclusive premium yoga and pilates classes
Community
See our range of community programmes and mass participation events all made possible because of the unique way we put our profit back into the business
See what our members think
We’re lucky enough to meet fantastic people in our facilities and programmes, that inspire us and could inspire you…listen to some of their stories
We offer a range of membership packages, so you’re sure to find one suitable for your needs.
Our centre staff are always happy to discuss your requirements and to suggest the most suitable package for your particular needs.
We have timetables for each centre available via the link below.
Please note that during school holidays and Bank Holidays timatables may vary from normal, so please check the relevant centres individual page for details of any variations.
We are Suffolk’s largest leisure management company, developing and managing nineteen facilities and inspiring the community to lead healthy, active lives.
Latest news and blog from Abbeycroft
Be kind to yourself
Most of us have found this year challenging in many ways, and our mental and physical wellbeing has been under the spotlight like never before.
Do not underestimate the cognitive and emotional load...
The vital work of social enterprise has never been so important
Today (Thursday 19 November) is #Social Enterprise Day, a day to celebrate and raise the profile of social enterprise around the world.
But many social enterprises are facing extreme operational and financial challenges, due to the economic and social restrictions currently in place, jeopardising the vital work they do, which is now more important than ever.
Avoid the temptation to hibernate
Many of us find it difficult to stay motivated to exercise in the autumn/winter months, so don't feel guilty about feeling that way - just try and make the change.
Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t necessarily mean you need to stay indoors or stop moving. Exercising in the winter has some surprising benefits:
Your membership makes a difference to families in hardship
We are one of the largest independent leisure trusts in the UK, and we're also a not-for-profit, social enterprise.
Put simply, this means we reinvest any financial surplus we make back into the business so that we can deliver events and community programmes, such as Explore Outdoor.
Holbrook Sports Centre closes
Abbeycroft Leisure has been a proud partner of Holbrook Academy since September 2016 and enjoyed working with them to manage their fitness centre, sports hall and pitches.
It is therefore with great sadness that we announce that Holbrook Sports Centre will not reopen to the general public, but will still be used by the school.
Keep on track with your fitness until our centres reopen
Maintaining fitness, motivation and general wellbeing during lockdown can be tricky when you don’t have access to your usual facilities and equipment or the friends you would usually train with.
When the announcement comes – we will be ready
As promised in my previous post, I would like to update you on what and how we are preparing the centres for re-opening.
You will probably have heard, that gyms and leisure centres are in 'Phase 3' of the government's roadmap for reopening, and this is still likely to be July.
It's also highly likely that we will phase the reopening of our facilities and we will provide further information on this, as the dates are confirmed.
Eat the Rainbow
Nature’s colours give strong clues about the nutrient content of foods which we should not ignore. For instance; beetroots are rich in betacyanins and iron which gives them their deep red colour and provides the essential ingredients for optimum health. Iron is essential to the production of red blood cells that carry vital oxygen to all parts of the body and betacyanins have a whole host of amazing health benefits.
A message from Warren, our CEO
I hope that you and your family are keeping well at this time and have been staying active where possible.
In light of the government guidance and recent statements, I wanted to write to let you know how we are preparing for the future beyond lockdown and also take a little time to explain what our teams have been doing during this period.
I'll update you over the next few weeks as and when government announcements are made.
Water – what are the facts?
So we all should know by now that drinking enough water to maintain a healthy lifestyle is ESSENTIAL!
But do we actually know why...let's look at the facts!
Our bodies are around 60% water, give or take.
Read more...
Resilience and the bounce-back factor
Since the Coronavirus pandemic, many of us have quite quickly moved into a new ‘normal’, going about our everyday lives in very different ways, and finding new meaning in the challenges we are having to adapt to.
The importance of routine during lockdown
Being isolated during lockdown has brought challenges to almost every household, and many people saying that their normal daily routine has been completely disrupted.
Not having a daily routine in any circumstances, can lead to anxiety and mental health conditions and research has shown that many people have found that doing exercise within their daily lockdown routine has helped them plan their day better.
The benefits of meditation
For many people, the spread of COVID-19 is causing a lot of anxiety and stress.
In response to the global coronavirus pandemic, governments around the world have taken drastic measures to curtail the spread of COVID-19, with social distancing measures. The gears of the food and drink industry have ground to a halt and the daily routine of thousands has been upended with work from home scenarios.
The importance of sleep
Sleep is critical to our physical health and effective functioning of the immune system. It’s also a key promoter of emotional wellbeing and mental health, helping to tackle stress, depression, and anxiety.
Strengthening and Protecting your Immune System
Blog by: Debbie Greenslade of Bury Homeopaths
How to look after yourself and family using Nutrition, Herbal medicine and Homeopathy:
‘’Dr Downing and other physicians from the International Society for Orthomolecular Medicine urged preventive supplementation to ‘prevent or minimize symptoms for viral infection,’ including the coronavirus.
How to get through Easter whilst isolating at home
Easter is a great time of year!
Normally families love nothing more than a celebration and plenty of food, drink and chocolate.
However, this year will be different, with most of us in isolation and observing the government's social distancing guidelines due to the Coronavirus pandemic. We must stay at home to save lives, but this doesn’t mean a weekend of boredom and staying inside.
Top tips to resist snack cravings
During difficult and stressful times, it is quite normal to reach for foods that we love rather than a healthier choice. It is known that being under stress may induce cravings, eating and weight gain. And being at home & out of normal routine, visits to the kitchen are more frequent which inevitably leads to the urge to snack.
3 great reasons to get outside
It’s a simple fact that we all feel happier, healthier and far more positive when spring is in the air, despite the current social distancing mesaures.
A little sunshine and warmth does us all the world of good.
All Abbeycroft centres set to close
We are disappointed to say that following the government’s latest recommendations, and in partnership with Babergh District Council and West Suffolk Council, who own some of the leisure centre buildings we operate, we have taken the decision to close the following centres by 16:00 on Friday 20 March, until further notice.
Babergh leisure centres set to close
Important update - Babergh leisure centres are closing - and members can freeze their memberships.
We are disappointed to say that following the government’s latest recommendations, and in partnership with Babergh District Council, who own some of the leisure centre buildings we operate, we have taken the decision to close the following centres by 16:00 on Friday 20 March, until further notice.
Next steps for Hadleigh’s new pool
Work to build a new swimming pool at Hadleigh Pool and Leisure will enter its next construction phase this Spring.
Babergh District Council working with its partner Abbeycroft Leisure is investing £2.4m with £200,000 of funds provided by Hadleigh Town Council and a Sports England grant (£150k), to build a new swimming pool at Hadleigh Pool and Leisure.
Suffolk to host final stage of The Women’s Tour in 2020
The world’s top cyclists will return to Suffolk this June as the county hosts the final stage of The Women’s Tour on Saturday 13 June.
It will be the first time that Suffolk has hosted the final stage of The Women’s Tour since 2014, with riders tackling a route from Haverhill to Felixstowe.
ATRIAL FIBRILLATION – THE TICKING TIME BOMB
People across west Suffolk are being urged to have their pulses checked for signs of a heart condition that has been described as a “ticking time bomb”.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) causes an irregular and often abnormally fast heart rate and is one of the major causes of severe stroke, particularly among the over-65s.
Bury Goes Biking – another great success
Despite the great British weather starting off rather wet and drizzly on Sunday (29th September), the sunshine eventually came through to help make the second closed road cycling event in Bury St Edmunds a success.
There were almost 600 people who signed up for this years event, an increase of 20% on last year.
2019 West Suffolk Sports Awards – sponsors revealed
Bury St Edmunds based Brewing and pub company Greene King, headline sponsor of this year’s West Suffolk Sports Awards, will be joined by other leading, local companies and organisations who will sponsor individual award categories at the awards ceremony on 15th October.
The sun is shining so stock up on vitamin D
With recent reports stating that we’re not getting our full annual quota of vitamin D, now’s the time to make the most of those long, lazy and hazy summer days. At Abbeycroft Leisure, we don’t need an excuse to be outdoors and exercising!
2019 Women on Wheels in Bury St Edmunds – another great success
Around 170 women took part in the sixth ‘Women on Wheels’ (WoW) cycle ride in Bury St Edmunds on Sunday 7th July, starting from Nowton Park.
The all-female WoW cycle ride, has become a popular summer fixture in Bury, inspiring women and girls of all ages and abilities to get on their bikes, and complete either the 10, 25, 50 or 70 mile route.
Abbeycroft becomes UK’s first leisure trust to be accredited with Poolmark
Abbeycroft Leisure has been accredited with a nationally recognised standard for pool water treatment and quality at three of their swimming pools, by the Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group (PWTAG), and they are the very first UK charitable leisure trust to do so.
Registration opens for ‘Bury Goes Biking’ spectacular
Bury St Edmunds town centre will once again become a traffic-free, closed road cycle route on Sunday 29 September between 10am - 2pm.
Oily fish is the perfect add to your diet
For many of us, eating a regular, healthy and nutritious diet is something of a challenge. Life’s daily stresses and pressures mean that cooking homemade meals isn’t always possible, and as a result we reach for convenience foods, fast foods and ready meals.
Fundraising from Sudbury Memory Walk benefits two local community groups
The financial fundraising from this year's Sudbury Memory Walk, was equally divided between Hadleigh Dementia Action Alliance (HDAA) and The Bridge Project’s - Decaf.
Each group will receive £1055.15 for much needed funds to keep their various programmes running.
Sudbury welcomes all-female cycle ride
Around 100 women and girls took part in the fifth ‘Women on Wheels’ (WoW) cycle ride in Sudbury on Sunday 21st July, starting from Acton Village Hall.
The all-female WoW cycle ride, has become a popular fixture in Sudbury, inspiring women and girls of all ages and abilities...
New collaborative working agreements will benefit the health and wellbeing of Suffolk communities
Abbeycroft Leisure has signed two 5-year collaborative working agreements with Suffolk Mind and Allied Health Professionals Suffolk, with the aim of improving the health and wellbeing of residents in Suffolk.
The aim of each agreement is to ensure that wherever there is an opportunity to provide joined up solutions that involve improving the mental and physical health of Suffolk residents through initiatives that involve physical activity we work together and not in competition.
Dementia Friendly Community Group in Hadleigh wins national award
Abbeycroft Leisure’s 'Together Tuesday’ scooped the prestigious 'Healthy Communities Award' at the recent UK Active Sports Awards in Manchester.
Brandon Leisure Centre awarded county-wide Exercise Referral Quality Standard
Abbeycroft Leisure’s Brandon Leisure Centre has become the second site in Suffolk to be awarded the new county-wide exercise referral quality standard for their work with patients with long term conditions referred to them by local GPs and health professionals.
The key to strengthening your glutes for summer
There’s never been a better time to start working towards getting those perfectly toned glutes. Now that summer is here, the idea of outdoor running and cycling is much more appealing – so it’s essential to strengthen the right muscle groups to keep you going for longer and smash those PBs!
Nominations open for 2019 West Suffolk Sports Awards
Nominations are now open for the 2019 Greene King West Suffolk Sports Awards, which will be held at St Edmundsbury Cathedral on Tuesday 15th October.
The best free weight exercises for maximum effect
With Spring well underway and the days getting warmer, Summer is only around the corner. It’s time to start toning your muscles in preparation for getting arms, legs and possibly even those midriffs on show.
Sudbury Memory Walk launches with a new date
Following the success of last year’s Sudbury Memory Walk where 168 walkers of all ages stepped out in memory of all those families living with or having lost someone with dementia, Abbeycroft Leisure, have announced this year’s date as Saturday 25th May.
The health benefits of eating yoghurt
If you’re partial to a spoonful of yoghurt on your breakfast cereal, or perhaps as a tasty treat after lunch or dinner, then you’ll be pleased to hear that it could be doing your body a whole lot of good.
Women on Wheels Sudbury returns in July
Women on Wheels (WoW) Sudbury is calling all women and girls to get on their bikes again for this year’s female mass participation ride on Sunday 21st July.
Starting from Acton Village Hall, the event is open to women and girls aged eight and over of all abilities with a choice of completing the 20 or 50 mile route...
How to make pancakes healthy
Shrove Tuesday is just around the corner. Also known as Pancake Day, Shrove Tuesday is the last feasting day before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. So with 5th March 2019 fast approaching, now is the time to start thinking about healthy pancake options.
Bury St Edmunds Leisure Centre awarded first Exercise Referral quality mark
Abbeycroft Leisure's Bury St Edmunds Leisure Centre has become the first facility in Suffolk to be awarded a new county-wide quality standard for their Exercise Referral Scheme, called Active Living.
You’ll be surprised how much exercise will help keep you fit and healthy
Exercise makes us feel happier and healthier. It’s a fact and it’s backed by science too. Furthermore, enjoying a regular exercise schedule makes us more capable of coping with stress, tension, anxiety and pressure.
It’s crucial you work out at the right time of day for your body
The time of day you work out is almost as important as the exercise routine that you follow. Many people work out at the wrong time of day for their body, and then wonder why they’re not seeing results, they’re putting on weight, or they’re struggling to sleep soundly.
Registrations open for Women on Wheels 2019
Hot on the wheels of last week’s announcement of the Suffolk stage of the Women’s Tour, the hugely popular Women on Wheels (WoW) event is back for a sixth year in Bury St. Edmunds and registrations are now open.
Newmarket Leisure Centre wins national recognition
The Suffolk facility beat off strong opposition to be crowned Local Authority/ Leisure Trust Gym of the Year at the National Fitness Awards 2018.
The awards, organised by Script Events and leading industry publication Workout, with support from headline sponsor ServiceSport, recognise excellence, innovation and achievement in all corners of the industry.