Leys Pools and Leisure Centre will celebrate the first anniversary of opening next month.
The £9m centre, which features a 25m pool with movable floor, teaching pool, toddlers’ splash pool and more, has been a huge hit since the upgrade.
Between January and November 2015 the centre attracted 412,967 visitors, compared to 148,741 visitors to the old Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre during the same period in 2014.
The Leys Pools and Leisure Centre now has more than 1,000 members, with the numbers growing each month, and more than 1,200 children are now having swimming lessons once a week.
The new centre was officially opened on 24 January 2015 with a free open weekend, which attracted more than 12,000 visitors.
Councillor Bob Price, Leader of Oxford City Council, said: “It is really pleasing to see how popular the new pool and fitness facilities have been in their first year of operation.
“Many new users have been attracted, and the quality of the centre and the staff has been widely praised.
“It is vital that we continue to encourage participation in exercise and sport among all age groups, and the new fitness trails and Oxford Spires Sports and Fitness centre that are about to open will increase further the range of options for Oxford residents.”
Fusion Lifestyle manages the centre in partnership with Oxford City Council.
Wayne Hawkins, Divisional Business Manager for Fusion Lifestyle, said: "We are thrilled that the centre has proved so popular with visitors from all over the city."
“The pool has been really well received, the refurbished gym and new equipment have been very popular and our fitness class programme continues to grow."
“We will be announcing plans for an anniversary open day soon and we hope anyone who hasn’t had a chance to see this great leisure facility will come along and see what we have to offer.”
Oxford City Council opened £316,000 worth of outdoor fitness equipment across the city’s parks earlier this month (December). In January the new Oxford Spires Sport & Fitness centre will open at Oxford Spires Academy, which the Council has contributed £500,000 towards; and the £4m Rose Hill Community Centre, which will include a gym and health centre, will open.
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