Knowsley Councillors received a progress report from Volair at a meeting of full Council.
Volair offers the largest range of health & fitness facilities, gyms, swimming pools and sports activities in Knowsley.
Volair, which operates leisure centres in Halewood, Huyton, Kirkby, Prescot and Stockbridge Village, marked its 10-year anniversary at the end of last year.
The Volair Annual Report highlighted continuing growth in participation and revenue to help sustain and re-invest in facilities.
Modernisation and investment
In recent years Volair has been investing in and modernising its facilities, which has included the refurbishment of all gyms, new equipment, football pitch investments, improved group exercise programmes, café modernisation and new products.
Major investment works are currently underway at Volair Halewood, which includes internal and external improvements and decarbonisation works that will make the Centre more sustainable and energy efficient.
A full upgrade of the gym and all-weather pitch facilities has already been completed in late 2025, and significant works will be delivered on a phased basis over the course of this year. You can find out more about the investment in Volair Halewood here.
New branding and website
As part of their 10-year anniversary celebrations in December 2025 Volair launched a refreshed modern logo and invested in a new website, incorporating the “Active Health” tagline.
The website, which you can view here, is more attractive, informative and easier to navigate than the previous site. It is also more mobile friendly, with a refreshed mobile App which integrates with Volair’s member management system, providing live timetable information with instant updates. A dedicated App for the Volair Spa at Knowsley Leisure and Culture Park was also launched in July 2025, where all treatments can be booked at ease on its online calendar, along with the ability to purchase gift cards.
The new logo branding is also in the process of being retrofitted to all leisure club signage in early 2026.
Digital membership card investment
Further investment was made in January 2026, with the introduction of mobile phone digital membership cards. The technology is the same secure system behind mobile payment methods and take up has been very positive with around 80% of members migrating to the digital cards. Physical cards are still available for members to who do not want to switch to a digital card.
Key benefits include improving the member experience, with quicker access to the Centres and instant card activation for new members.
Contribution to the Knowsley Council Plan 2025-30
Volair contributes to the Knowsley Council Plan by providing modern accessible varied leisure services locally, hosting a large and diverse range of clubs, community groups and organisations, that all contributes to physical health and wellbeing within the borough.
Cllr Shelley Powell, Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods, said: “Volair’s offer is benefiting the health and wellbeing of residents, improving both physical and mental health across the borough in a range of ways. The facilities on offer to the wider community go beyond that of a traditional leisure centre. Volair facilities are important community health and social wellbeing hubs, used by NHS services, local organisations, clubs and businesses. I welcome the progress Volair has made since its launch 10 years ago and I am sure it will continue to play a key role in the health and wellbeing of our residents.”
More information can be found here.