Folkestone Sports Centre acquired by local charity The Sports Trust

Spanning just over 11 acres, the sports centre originally formed part of the Radnor Estate and is understood to have been gifted by Lord Radnor in the 1960s, with the main centre being developed in the late 1960s/early 1970s and being formally opened by Princess Anne in 1972.

Indoor facilities include two swimming pools, a health and fitness suite, a sports hall, three squash courts, spin and aerobics studios, a health and beauty facility and café/bar. Outside, there are three tennis courts, an archery area, a ‘dry’ ski slope, a nine hole footgolf course and a SkyWalk high ropes course.

Christie & Co was instructed by Opus Restructuring LLP to market the centre after Folkestone Sports Centre Trust Limited was placed into administration in August 2024.

The business has been acquired by The Sports Trust, a local charity whose mission is to dismantle barriers to sports participation and celebrate sport as a powerful tool for social improvement. The charity works with schools, sports clubs and the local community and uses exercise to help create a healthy and united society.

Dan Hulme, Chief Executive Officer at The Sports Trust, said, “We are incredibly grateful for the support, guidance and expertise provided throughout this process by Christie & Co. From the start of discussions, they took a very collaborative approach and their commitment to this has played a key role in helping us secure the future of the sports centre, ensuring a positive outcome for the whole community.”

Jon Patrick, Head of Leisure and Development at Christie & Co, adds, “As we anticipated from the outset, interest in the centre came from a wide variety of potential purchasers, including those interested in alternative uses and redevelopment of the site. However, such was the importance of Folkestone Sports Centre to the local community, we were pleased to see that the majority of interest in the centre came from the charitable health and leisure club sector with a mutual goal of re-opening the business.

“Following a competitive bidding process, we were delighted to confirm The Sports Trust as our preferred bidder, and given their significant local knowledge and outreach as well as investment plans for the property, we believe they were the best placed party to ensure the future of Folkestone Sports Centre.”

To read The Sports Trust’s press statement, click here: https://www.thesportstrust.org/news/the-sports-trust-saves-folkestone-sports-centre/

For further information on this press release, contact:
Jasmine Davis, Corporate Communications Manager
P: +44 7561 115179
E: jasmine.davis@christie.com