FIGURES released today show that more than 400,000 visits were made to Cirencester Leisure Centre.

With the exception of April 2011, when there was an unseasonable heat-wave, visits to the Cotswold District Council’s Leisure Cirencester for each month exceeded previous totals.

Cllr Barry Gibbs, the Cabinet member responsible for Leisure Services, commented: “It’s great to hear that more people are using the leisure centre. We anticipated a rise in visits when we saw a marked increase in the number of memberships being taken out recently, but topping the 400,000 mark is very gratifying.”

He continued: “From a national perspective, the Olympics are just around the corner and it is anticipated that this major sporting event will encourage more people to take up exercise and live a healthier lifestyle – this trend certainly seems to be evident already in Cirencester.

“Going to any CDC-owned leisure centre is the ideal way to enjoy working out, with superb professional support and guidance on hand as well as the opportunity to use state-of-the-art equipment, and perhaps even make new friends.”

Visitor numbers at the other leisure centres owned by CDC – at Bourton, Chipping Campden, Fairford, and Tetbury – also held up very well during 2011-12 despite the sluggish economy, and were in line with annual targets.