City of Lincoln Council celebrates the official opening of Birchwood and Yarborough Leisure Centres!

The event, which will take place at Yarborough Leisure Centre, follows a remarkable period of repair, refurbishment, and phased reopening throughout the summer.

Thanks to significant investment and the tireless efforts of council staff, contractors, and operator Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL), the centres are now fully operational once again with a completely new look and feel.

Following a phased reopening through July and August, all indoor and outdoor facilities are now available at both centres.

On 14 August 2025, Yarborough Leisure Centre fully reopened its upgraded gyms, studios, and communal spaces, warmly welcoming the community back just one week after the reopening of its pools and two weeks after Birchwood Leisure Centre had reopened.

New for September at Yarborough Leisure Centre is the highly anticipated Swim School, which reopened from 8 September 2025. Sessions run every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday and can be booked via the Better UK website or better_uk app.

Plus, a brand-new schedule of Virtual Classes, bookable via the better_uk app or website. From RPM, Sprint, and Body Combat to Dance Fitness and more, there’s something for everyone, seven days a week.

At Birchwood Leisure Centre, the toning suite is now fully operational, and members can also take part in a new September gym challenge as well as a Clip 'n' Climb challenge.

Cllr Naomi Tweddle, Leader of City of Lincoln Council, said:

"The reopening of our leisure centres is a real milestone for Lincoln. It’s the result of months of dedicated work and partnership, all driven by our belief in protecting and enhancing leisure opportunities in this city.

“These facilities have been transformed and improved, and I’m proud to say that they are reopening to an incredibly high standard.

“We can’t wait to see residents of all ages making the most of everything Birchwood and Yarborough have to offer, whether that’s in the pool, the gym, or joining one of the many new classes.

“I would like to give a huge thank you to everyone who has been involved in making this possible.”

Peter Bundey, CEO of GLL said:

"We know how important these public leisure facilities are to the people of Lincoln - for their health and wellbeing and for their life chances. 

"GLL has got off to a very promising start welcoming new customers through the doors and we look forward to activating more residents with our trademark programme development and improved access."

The reopening of Yarborough Leisure Centre, alongside the earlier reopening of Birchwood Leisure Centre, demonstrates City of Lincoln Council’s commitment to safeguarding and enhancing leisure opportunities for local residents.

The ribbon cutting on 11 September at 12:30pm will celebrate the next chapter for these much-loved community hubs.

You can view memberships and activity and class timetables for both Yarborough and Birchwood online; you can also stay informed with news and updates for both leisure centres via the Birchwood Facebook page and the Yarborough Facebook page.