Mansfield Mayor's blog

March 2022

Mansfield stands ready to help Ukrainian Refugees

We’re all looking on in disbelief as the biggest humanitarian crisis since the end of the Second World War unfolds in Ukraine. It is estimated that there will be over 5 million families and children displaced, fleeing the horrors of war.

I am proud of how our local communities have already stepped up. The young people of All Saints’ Catholic Academy collected more than 300 bags of donated clothes, blankets, sleeping bags, toiletries, nappies, baby milk and medical supplies.

I want to reassure you that we stand ready to do all we can to provide practical support as soon as details of the Government’s sponsorship scheme are provided. 

In the meantime, we are keeping busy and focusing on our priorities to regenerate Mansfield with our philosophy of green, clean and healthy.

Full Council recently agreed to allocate £1.5m towards a new Health Hub for Warsop. This will enable us to move ahead with our plans to provide improved leisure facilities to support health and wellbeing activities in Warsop. We have been working hard with Warsop Parish Council, Active Notts and Vibrant Warsop and consulted widely with community groups and residents. The £7.7m project, which will include a 15m x 8m swimming pool, changing village, café, fitness suite, a multipurpose divisible hall and new multi-use games area on the site at Carr Lane Park, will be supported by £3m from the Towns Fund and a bid of up to £1.5m from Sports England. Borrowing of up to £3.5m will be needed depending on the level of funding secured from Sport England.  

In other good news, three Mansfield leisure centres will benefit from £2m of improvements. We have awarded a 10-year contract to Serco that implements £333,000 of carbon reducing and energy saving measures, which will save 420,000kg of carbon dioxide each year to help us meet our Climate Emergency targets. 

Exciting planned improvements include new interactive water features at Water Meadows along with a fun wall climbing zone, party room and a refurbished gym. At Oak Tree there will be a new outdoor 3G sports pitch, a shape master toning suite, an inflatable wipe out arena obstacle course for children to enjoy in the school holidays, along with a refresh of gym equipment and a community hub. 

A new £50k active communities program, in conjunction with Mansfield Health Partnership, will provide innovative activities at community venues to encourage more people to improve their health and wellbeing.

Nottingham-based Switch Up will soon be taking over the day-to-day operation of the River Maun Recreation Centre. Switch Up supports children and young people to reach their full potential through mentoring, education, counselling and physical activity. The hub, which aims to provide a safe and alternative space to learn, will include the creation of a boxing gym and activities to support young people, providing education, training and employment opportunities. MDC - we are more than just a council.

Date: 16 March 2022