Cllr Janet Burgess with children at the trampoline park at the Sobell Centre in Holloway

• I WAS surprised and disappointed to read that a Sobell Leisure Centre visitor thought the trampoline park was underused, (Has trampoline park fallen flat? November 2).

In fact, as the first such park in inner London it has been a major success since its launch in January, having welcomed around 158,000 visitors so far, and counting. It has been warmly received by residents and job-seekers looking for a career in the leisure industry too.

But the success story of this trampoline park is about much more than just numbers through the door. Better, which runs Sobell and our other leisure centres, is a social enterprise with a mission to provide affordable, accessible facilities to all communities in Islington.

In practical terms, this means the trampoline park attracts groups who are traditionally less likely to use leisure centres, such as teenage girls, helping them to engage in physical exercise, improve their fitness and reduce health inequalities.

Alongside plenty of public sessions and party bookings, there is a monthly Saturday Night Project, which allows children to use the trampoline park for a reduced rate of £3. Numerous schools and community groups have enjoyed the trampoline park in dedicated, regular, inclusive sessions.

We expect visits to the trampoline park to increase again as we head into winter. Customers will soon be able to take part in aerobic jump sessions as part of Sobell Leisure Centre’s fitness class programme.

I am proud that, with Better, we have opened up the use of Sobell Leisure Centre to an even broader cross-section of society, encouraging everyone to lead healthy lives with an activity they can enjoy.

CLLR JANET BURGESS
Executive member for health and social care, Islington Council