The awards evening was hosted by Sky Sports presenter Hayley McQueen and was the first of its kind held by Community Leisure UK since its rebrand from Sporta. The association that specialises in charitable leisure trusts across the UK, Community Leisure UK champions and protects the trust model by enabling networking and knowledge sharing with peers and external stakeholders. It celebrated the various milestones met within the sector by recognising those at the forefront of tackling the physical activity and obesity crisis being faced in the UK.

Aspire Sport and Cultural Trust was shortlisted for the Innovation Award, acknowledging Lunar City’s part in reducing inactivity across Gloucestershire. It was pipped to the post by a worthy victor - High Life Highland – which was shortlisted for its leadership programme for 12-25-year olds.

Jacquie Douglas, Chief Executive at Aspire Sports and Cultural Trust, said:

“It was an honour for Aspire to be whittled down to the final four candidates out of a myriad of nominees all deserving of an award for their hard-work and devotion to their communities.”

As a Community Leisure UK member and a non-profit organisation, Aspire Sports and Cultural Trust prides itself on putting its members at the core of everything it does. Every penny surplus generated through Aspire gets reinvested back into improving the facilities and developing new ones.

Lunar City was introduced in 2018 in response to poor physical activity levels across Gloucestershire. Billed as a pioneering investment in the future of the community, the inflatable city has already had almost 19,000 unique users since its inception and enabled a 600% rise in activity levels.

The one-of-a-kind facility includes features such as slides, tunnels, an assault course and a toddler area. It’s also home to a unique brand of fitness classes, as well as disability and under 5s sessions. In its short existence, Lunar City has been nominated for two prestigious awards recognising its positive impact on communities across the South West.

Find out more about Lunar City by visiting lunarcity.org.uk