Sir David English Sports Centre has become the first leisure centre operated by registered charity and social enterprise BH Live to offer EV (electric vehicle) charging.

This is part of the charity’s wider environmental strategy to introduce sustainable measures across the centres and venues it operates across the BCP region.

In partnership with JoJu Charging, two EV chargers were installed at Sir David English Sports Centre this summer. Since the installation, more than 700 electrical vehicle miles have been generated at the centre, with more miles being generated every week.

Charging is available from 6:30am-10pm on Mondays to Thursdays, 6:30am-9pm on Fridays, and 9am-5pm on weekends. Charging costs 56p per kwh.

Being more sustainable is one of BH Live’s key priorities alongside getting more people active and enjoying cultural events for improved health and wellbeing. This year, BH Live has invested more than £100k into energy efficiency measures to reduce energy wastage and improve the organisation’s overall carbon footprint.

Last year, BH Live also invested in an electric vehicle for its operational team to introduce more sustainable measures. Other investments have included the installation of pool covers at some centres to reduce heat loss, as well as LED lighting to minimise electricity consumption. In addition, solar panel installations and AHU (air handling unit) upgrades have also taken place at some centres as part of an investment with local authority partners.

As of October 2024, all leisure centres and venues managed by BH Live have achieved *Green Mark Level 2 accreditation as part of its commitment to reducing energy waste and improving sustainability.

Sir David English Sports Centre is operated by BH Live in partnership with Bournemouth School Charitable Trust.

Roy Clarke, BH Live’s Director of Technical Operations shared:

“We are delighted to introduce EV charging at Sir David English Sports Centre. Reducing our carbon footprint is a key priority of our environmental strategy as we strive to become a more sustainable organisation. We hope visitors benefit from this new facility.”

Rob Dickin, Key Accounts Lead at Joju Charging said:

“It’s great to be working with partners like BH Live to deliver EV charging infrastructure that will help support the switch to electric vehicles and assist us all in our goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions. The new charger will benefit visitors to the Sir David English Sports Centre and encourage others to switch to an electric vehicle.”

For more information, visit bhliveactive.org.uk/sir-david-english