Matt Hancock is the Contract Manager for More Leisure Community Trust (MLCT) in Mansfield. MCLT are the charitable trust, which oversees Water Meadows Leisure Complex, Rebecca Adlington Leisure Centre and Oak Tree Leisure Centre. And from summer 2024, working with Serco Leisure, they will begin running the brand new Warsop Health Hub.

This is an exciting and busy time for Matt and the MLCT team, as they work towards the summer opening, but he’s taken some time out to answer a few of our questions.

1) Tell us about yourself, Matt.

I was born and raised in a place called Maltby in Rotherham, a typical ex-mining town, like Warsop. I’ve been based in Nottinghamshire since 2018 and moved to Mansfield in 2021. I live with my fiancée and one-year old son.

2) What’s your leisure sector background?

Sport, fitness and wellbeing was always the route I was going to take with my career. As a junior, I represented the North of England in cross country running, I played football professionally at the age of 17 for Altrincham Football Club, and I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports and Exercise Science.

My first job after university was in Rotherham and Sheffield, working for a leisure company in a community engagement role. After that, I moved down to Nottingham, where I worked at the National Water Sports Centre, tasked with improving links between local community organisations and this prestige facility.

3) Tell us about a career highlight.

Being part of the team, which will open and manage the Warsop Health Hub will definitely be a highlight, but if I had to choose something from a previous role, it’d probably be the successful launch of a weekly social prescribing paddleboard session at the National Water Sports Centre.

Via this project, we supported hundreds of local people who were struggling with issues like anxiety, physical health conditions and social isolation.

I’ll be honest, I used to come home from work every Thursday evening, after witnessing the effectiveness of these sessions, with a huge smile on my face. It was so gratifying to see the difference that structured physical activity was making in people’s lives.

It’s that inclusive approach MLCT will be bringing to the new health hub. We know that with wellbeing and fitness, it’ll never be ‘one size fits all’. Whatever way you want to stay active, we want to be there to support you on that journey.

I’m honoured to be part of such an important project, but this wouldn’t be happening without the tremendous support of Mansfield District Council, Vibrant Warsop and Sport England. I cannot wait to get started in the summer, as we look to help all of our new customers make more of every day.

Great progress has been made over the Winter period on the programme of works for Warsop Health Hub.

Internal walls are beginning to take shape, all the mains services have been brought into site, the plant room is now being fitted out following the installation of the AHU and the pool hall glazing has been installed. Upcoming works include the MUGA court being prepared for tarmac, general tiling, splash zone pipework and screeding of the changing village – to name just a few.

We look forward to providing further updates as we enter into the Spring period.